Seminarios web y conferencias

The 2023 program takes place on Mondays from 9am-5pm fromFebruary 26th-November 4th (NO CLASS Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day) There is one weekend trip to Chicago (Saturday through Monday, July 20-22. You can see the full schedule .
How much does the program cost?
Program fees for 2024 are $3,900 plus the cost of books and materials (~$200).
Are there scholarships?
There are need and merit-based scholarships for BIPOC farmers from Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park of up to $3,150. Scholarship application is and financial need form is .

At the KBS Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) program, scientists and community partners are working together to evaluate how row crop systems can be both profitable and environmentally sustainable. To do this, we are comparing conventional corn/soy systems to an alternative cropping system – which includes a five-crop rotation, cover crops, no-till cultivation, livestock integration, precision farming, and conservation strips. This alternative system was envisioned by leaders in Michigan agriculture who identified “what Michigan row crop agriculture could look like in 30 years.”
While only in year two, this LTAR experiment is uniquely valuable because it will ask these questions over decades and, thus, be able to identify both the short- and long-term trade-offs in economic and environmental benefits.

FIT helps communities learn about their strengths and weaknesses through the eyes of first-time visitors. In 2023, Lapeer received first-time visitors to the community and surrounding area. The results of Lapeer's FIT assessment will be shared during this evening forum. Community leaders and residents will be present to hear results, listen to suggestions, and guide next steps.

Many food establishments are required to comply with the current good manufacturing practice, hazard analysis, and risk‐based preventive controls for human food regulation, referred to as the Preventive Controls for Human Food Regulation. This is part of the Food Safety Modernization Act. Those establishments subject to the rule must have a preventive controls qualified individual (PCQI) who meets the qualifications of training and/or experience outlined in the final rule.

Learn how to prepare and sell foods to the public under Michigan’s Cottage Food Law. This two-hour workshop combines education about the Michigan Cottage Food Law and the food safety aspects of preparing and selling cottage foods safely and successfully. Michigan Cottage Food Law allows residents to manufacture foods in home kitchens and storing those products at home. Topics include preparing, packaging, labeling, storing, and transporting cottage foods.

This workshop from MSU Extension will equip you with valuable information about turning your ideas into a new business and will help you navigate the technicalities and avoid costly mistakes. The instructors are Beth Martinéz (Financial and Homeownership Education Team), and Nancy Latham (Financial and Homeownership Education Team).

RSVP below for the field day on Friday, September 22, 2023 from 1-4pm ET at JD Lehman Farms.

Certain plant diseases are so horrible or so deadly that composting is not an appropriate way to get rid of affected plants. Learn about some of these diseases and their proper management.

The presentation cover the Maryland Department of Agriculture's Apiary inspection service, what it does and how it helps beekeepers. The talk will include information on Maryland beekeeping and the Apiary Inspection Service's Canine Disease Detectors.

1st generation farming couple Paul and Brittany Windemuller moved to Coopersville in 2013, after a yearlong dairy farm internship in New Zealand, to start their farm operation. Both have been lifelong residents of Ottawa County and started dairy farming in May of 2014 at their current location. Over 4 years they grew the herd from 30 to 250 cows while aggressively implementing new technology on the farm. Today the operation focuses on managing the herd using AI programing and many other technology devices. Paul and Brittany also both share a love for educating others which has also been a big focus on the farm to develop many young people in agriculture that have gone on to great careers in the industry.

Beekeeping in climates with cold winters presents unique challenges for keeping honey bee colonies alive and thriving. This talk will cover some of the top tips and tricks from the University of Minnesota Bee Lab for those keeping bees with distinct seasons.

Listen to a CSA farmer share their story about raising funds through their membership to support local food access initiatives & building a stronger community around local food. We'll also learn about the farm's work in collecting reparations for BIPOC farms & supporting their area food pantries.

The Michigan Apple Crunch is an annual event hosted by MSU Extension and the Michigan Farm to Institution Network to promote National Farm to School Month and celebrate the iconic Michigan Apple. Thousands of participants from K-12 schools, Early Care and Education sites and other institutions and organizations across the state and Great Lakes Region register to crunch into a local Michigan apple on Crunch day. Apples provide a great way to get local schools and institutions excited about supporting local farmers and they are a nutritious snack that is available in Michigan eleven months of the year.

The Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) hosts an annual volunteer monitoring conference each fall. The conference provides an excellent opportunity to stay up to date on monitoring methods and to meet and interact with other volunteer monitors.
This year's conference will take place in person at MSU's Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) on Friday, October 20, 2023. A small evening reception will take place on Thursday, October 19, at 6 p.m. Lodging will be available at KBS for Thursday night. Lodging may be requested through registration and associated lodging fees will be paid in conjunction with your conference registration fee.

The Michigan Beekeepers Association's Fall Conference will be held on Saturday, October 21st, 2023 at the Doherty Hotel in Clare. Beekeepers and people interested in learning more about beekeeping, honey bees, and hive products are welcome to attend.

The Michigan Agricultural Credit Conference provides agricultural lenders, agribusinesses, policy-makers, and other interested parties across the state, with updates on the economy and agricultural industries in Michigan and outlooks for the future. Hear from experts about agricultural policy and economics, farmland markets, succession planning, decision-making tools, commodity and dairy outlooks, and much more.

As gardening moves indoors for the winter, growing houseplants can prove challenging. Learn about common houseplant diseases that adversely affect your indoor gardening efforts. This presentation will include information on how to identify these diseases, as well as information on how to manage them.

Agricultural workers are a critical part of the United States economy, and their efforts enable American consumers to maintain access to a stable source of domestically-produced food. However, the supply of domestic farm workers is declining and farm labor shortages have become a chronic problem. This situation has created significant challenges for American farmers. Agricultural wages have also lagged behind wages in several other key sectors that compete for the same labor pool, adding pressure on an already tight farm labor market. In response to ongoing labor shortages, many agricultural employers have turned to the H-2A visa program to meet their labor needs, which is typically more expensive than hiring domestic workers.

Learn about common diseases that can adversely affect the evergreens around your home. This presentation will include information on how to identify these diseases, as well as information on how to manage them.

Learn about ten fascinating plant diseases with such distinctive signs and symptoms that you can identify them by eye. This presentation will cover the biology of the organisms that cause these diseases and tidbits of disease control information as well.