By Andi Anderson
The Michigan Craft Beverage Council (MCBC) has announced the recipients of its 2024 research grant program, providing a total of $345,706 in funding for research and education to support the growth of Michigan's craft beer, hard cider, spirits, and wine industries. These grants will contribute to advancing agricultural inputs for craft beverage production and promoting innovation in the industry.
The 12 selected projects cover various aspects of craft beverage production, focusing on areas such as climate change impact, crop quality, new varieties, flavor profile analysis, sustainable water use, and the utilization of Michigan agricultural products. Four of the selected projects are continuation projects that have shown positive progress.
Tim Boring, the chair of the Michigan Craft Beverage Council and Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasized the importance of innovation in the state's growth. He highlighted the craft beverage industry as a prime example of an innovative sector that not only creates new products but also generates employment and economic opportunities.
The research projects funded for 2024 include investigations into alternative corn varieties for the craft distilling industry, exploration of plant morphology and physiological mechanisms to avoid winter injury in barley, evaluation of Michigan grain varieties for craft beverage production, and assessment of plant varieties and disease management practices to improve hop and barley quality.
The grants also support projects related to sustainable practices, such as reducing the risk of late-season cluster rots in wine grapes, protecting the hop industry through germplasm evaluation for hop-cyst nematode tolerance, and field susceptibility trials of cider apple cultivars to bitter rot and black rot.
The research outcomes will be made accessible through the Council's website research database, allowing industry members to easily access information by keyword, author, year, category, and crop.
For more information about the Michigan Craft Beverage Council, including details about grants, grower connections, business support, and a map of craft beverage licensees, interested individuals can visit michigancraftbeverage.com.
Photo Credit: michigan-craft-beverage-council
Categories: Michigan, Business