For some state agricultural programs and committees, it's like Christmas before even Halloween or Thanksgiving, but there's undoubtedly a lot thanks being given to U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow and her colleagues for nearly $2-million in critical funding to support fruit, vegetable, nursery and floriculture producers all across the state today.
As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Stabenow announced today $1,887,408 to support 20 specialty crop projects and other programs throughout the state. The full list can be seen below, but some of note to our area include the support systems for Farmers Markets, Agri-Tourism, Blueberry pest mitigation, Hop Growers quality control and other various fruit grower supports.
Stabenow says for Michigan growers, many of the support systems will help to more effectively market products at local and regional farmer's markets, and develop better production and food safety practices. She told reporters today, "Support for fruit, vegetable, nursery, and floriculture producers has been a top priority of mine and I will continue to work so that Michigan families have better access to local and healthy food options and Michigan growers have the tools they need to succeed.
The following is a list of the 20 programs and committees who will share in the nearly $1.9-million announced today:
- This partnership with Celery Research, Inc., will determine if washing celery at packaging to eliminate a pathogen is maintained throughout the celery’s storage shelf life by demonstrating antimicrobial effectiveness to control biological pathogens on fresh celery.
- This partnership with Kalamazoo Valley Community College will increase sales and competitiveness of specialty crops by developing and documenting operations and food safety protocols for a demonstration Food Hub that lightly processes and distributes Michigan specialty crops to institutions in the Kalamazoo area.
- This partnership with Michigan Bean Commission will identify and mitigate yield reductions associated with white mold and Root Rot in dry beans by conducting research to assess the impact of strategies to prevent loss.
- This partnership with Michigan Potato Industry Commission will develop genetic markers for indirect selection of efficient tuber wound healing in breeding lines of potato, conduct variety trials, and use a “fast track” strategy to quickly produce certified mini-tubers by conducting research to identify and develop assessment tools to help the breeding and selection of superior potato varieties for the potato chip-processing industry.
- This partnership with Michigan Agritourism Association will provide customers with a more satisfying experience at pick-your-own farms and increase the likelihood of return visits and increased sales revenue through development of a baseline dollar value of pick-your-own specialty crops in Michigan, offering webinars to educate producers and designing print materials for use at pick-your-own specialty crop operations.
- This partnership with Michigan Integrated Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) will create a user-friendly database documenting vetted examples of on-farm food safety practices and linking them to associated best practices for complying with the Food Safety Modernization Act standards, GAP certification, conservation of natural resources, and USDA costshare opportunities.
- This partnership with Michigan Farmers Market Association will increase Michigan families’ awareness of the abundance of Michigan specialty crops available at farmers markets and other retail venues to ultimately increase sales and consumption through marketing, promotion and consumer education.
- This partnership with Cherry Marketing Institute will enhance the competitiveness of tart cherries by educating and motivating ingredient decision makers to choose U.S.-grown Montmorency tart cherries, one of Michigan’s largest specialty crops.
- This partnership with Hop Growers of Michigan will establish, for the first time in Michigan, a quality system specific to hops through establishing Recommended Operating Procedures, an education program to train farmers, and a two-level voluntary verification program.
- This partnership with MBG Marketing will reduce loss of processed fruit to contamination by the galls caused by wasps, reduce yield loss and infestation of blueberry fields, and increase grower ability to prevent infestation by developing and implementing best management practices for Michigan blueberry growers to mitigate the effects of the resurgent blueberry stem gall wasp.
- This partnership with Michigan Apple Committee will build on past work and improve the competitiveness of fresh Michigan apples by building online engagement with consumers to drive a deeper connection between social media involvement and in-store activity.
- This partnership with Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board will investigate the use of mycorrhizae as part of a root rot management program to limit disease losses in asparagus, optimize irrigation systems to minimize drought and temperature stress, and develop fertility management strategies that complement irrigation systems and mycorrhizae applications by conducting a research study.
- This partnership with Michigan Carrot Committee will increase carrot yield, quality, and farmer profitability; reduce pesticide and fertilizer use and environmental impacts through investigating the effects of nitrogen fertilization, exploring the potential role of foliar disease, diagnosing leaf hopper infectivity levels, and evaluating novel in-row cultivation tools.
- This partnership with Michigan Onion Committee will combat bacterial leaf blight in onions through monitoring thrips population and bacterial pathogens, evaluating N management tradeoffs, developing mitigation strategies, and extending research findings to onion growers, packers and shippers.
- This collaboration with the Cherry Marketing Institute, Michigan Bean Commission, Michigan Apple Committee, and the Michigan Potato Industry Commission will promote specialty crops domestically and internationally through participation in trade shows, conducting export research and conducting a trade mission to increase sales and exports of specialty crop commodities.
- This partnership with Michigan Tree Fruit Commission will make Michigan fruit crop production more economically competitive and environmentally sustainable through the development, application and widespread use of new Enviroweather web-based decision support tools.
- This partnership with Michigan Cherry Committee will conduct applied research and outreach programming to help cherry growers manage spotted wing Drosophila.
- This partnership with Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association will reduce the biomass of invasive weeds in Michigan by surveying participating nurseries and conducting random field samples.
- This partnership with Michigan State Horticultural Society will develop a Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) recommendation system that will afford growers with up-to-date, critical information necessary to make close-to-harvest management decisions targeting both invasive and domestic pests in Michigan apple and cherry production through conducting residue analysis of field trial samples.
- Ensure that the State Agency and sub-awardees abide by Federal and State requirements and regulations by performing pre-award and post-award activities to administer Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funding.
