Michigan State University Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center is helping the present and future growers of the thumb and Saginaw Valley region.
With a total economic impact of more than $254 million annually, the extension center has allowed Michigan producers to be national leaders in sugar beet and dry bean production.
Teresa K. Woodruff, MSU interim president, recently made a stop in Frankenmuth for their annual Michigan managers meeting. She says integrating alumni into local workforces is just one way to enable future development for the regional economy.
"Its the quality of life, it's the workplace opportunity, and it's the opportunity to be entrepreneurial and to build the next generation of technologies," said Woodruff.
The Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center is a 450-acre working research center holding massive importance to local growers.
"Currently, my program is testing 170 different varieties of dry beans alone," said Scott Bales, a dry bean system specialist at the MSU Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center.
This amount of testing provides a blueprint for local farmers which overall helps their businesses save time and money.
"Here at the center, that's what are mission is to be able to improve production, be able to test these varieties to hopefully provide better information and better genetic material for the future," he added.
And the research being done through the center is making a huge impact on the future growers of the nation.
"This is my first internship and I've noticed and learned a lot more and gotten to see the hands-on side versus at school, it's more of the business aspect," said Ella Schmidt is an MSU intern from Flushing.
Source: abc12.com
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Categories: Michigan, Education