MAEAP Verified 40 Farms in May

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s (MDARD) Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) is recognizing 40 farms for implementing appropriate pollution prevention practices. The program assists farmers to comply with state and federal environmental regulations and with Right to Farm practices. Technical assistance was provided by local Conservation Districts.

The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program recognized:

  • Spruce Valley Farms, of Spruce, as a verified farm in the Cropping, Farmstead, and Livestock Systems.
  • White Barn Gardens, of Harrisville, as a verified farm in the Cropping, Farmstead, and Livestock Systems.
  • True Blue Farms—True Blue Too, LLC—Dailey North, of South Haven, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Farmstead System.
  • True Blue Farms—True Blue Too, LLC—Dailey Baseline, of South Haven, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Newland Farm, of Ostego, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Livestock Systems.
  • Berry Fresh Farms, LLC—Farm 1, of Pullman, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Berry Fresh Farms, LLC—Farm 2, of South Haven, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Farmstead Systems.
  • Berry Fresh Farms, LLC—Farm 3, of Pullman, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Farmstead Systems.
  • Berry Fresh Farms, LLC—Farm 4, of South Haven, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Farmstead Systems.
  • Farmer White’s, of Williamsburg, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Farmstead Systems.
  • The Podjan Blueberry Farm, of Watervliet, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Non-Typical Farms, LLC, of Marcellus, as a verified farm in the Farmstead System.
  • Nelson’s Herbs, of Edwardsburg, as a verified farm in the Cropping (Greenhouse) and Farmstead (Greenhouse) Systems.
  • Serendipity Farms, of Wolverine, as a verified farm in the Cropping, Farmstead, and Livestock Systems.
  • K & K Dairy Farms, LLC, of Westphalia, as a verified farm in the Farmstead System.
  • Twisted Oak Tree Farm, of Gladwin, as a verified farm in the Forest, Wetlands, and Habitat System.
  • MI Local Hops, of Williamsburg, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Farmstead Systems.
  • Esham Family Farm, of Albion, as a verified farm in the Cropping, Farmstead, and Livestock Systems.
  • Sanford Family Farm, of Rives Junction, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Perkins Farm, of Lapeer, as a verified farm in the Cropping, Farmstead, and Livestock Systems.
  • Kenrick Farm, of Almont, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Farmstead Systems.
  • Maple Ridge Farm, of Maple City, as a verified farm in the Forest, Wetlands, and Habitat System.
  • Black Star Farms, of Suttons Bay, as a verified farm in the Forest, Wetlands, and Habitat System.
  • Good Harbor Farms, of Maple City, as a verified farm in the Farmstead System.
  • Lenawee Intermediate School District—Center for a Sustainable Future, of Adrian, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Forest, Wetlands, and Habitat Systems.
  • Wolcott Mill Metropark Farm Center, of Ray, as a verified farm in the Cropping, Farmstead, and Livestock Systems.
  • Little Red Organics, of Free Soil, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Farmstead Systems.
  • Zwagerman Farms Cropping, LLC, of Custer, as a verified farm in the Livestock System.
  • Stauffer Farms, of Manton, as a verified farm in the Cropping, Farmstead, and Livestock Systems.
  • B-S Ranch I, of Lake City, as a verified farm in the Cropping, Farmstead, and Livestock Systems.
  • Nansue Farms, of Prescott, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Farmstead System.
  • Bristol Farm, of West Branch, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • J. Devins Farm, of Roscommon, as a verified farm in the Cropping, Farmstead, and Livestock Systems.
  • Kennedy Farm, of Elsie, as a verified farm in the Cropping; Farmstead; and Forest, Wetlands, and Habitat Systems.
  • McCoy Farms, LLC, of St. Clair, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Farmstead Systems.
  • Goldenview Home Farm, of Mendon, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Farmstead Systems.
  • Almer Township State Game Area, of Caro, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Forest, Wetlands, and Habitat Systems.
  • Straight Line Red Angus, of South Haven, as a verified farm in the Cropping, Farmstead, and Livestock System.
  • Van Buren Intermediate School Helping Hands Garden, of Lawrence, as a verified farm in the Cropping and Farmstead Systems.
  • De Leo Farm Produce, of Bangor, as a verified farm in the Farmstead System.

“By taking the steps necessary to become an environmentally verified operation, these 40 farms have contributed to the assurance of sustainable farming practices,” said MDARD Director Jamie Clover Adams. “Michigan is leading the national agriculture community in effective stewardship practices with the voluntary, incentive-based MAEAP program. The continued success of the program demonstrates that environmental sustainability and economic development are not mutually exclusive.”

MAEAP is a collaborative effort of farmers, MDARD, Michigan Farm Bureau, commodity organizations, universities, conservation districts, conservation and environmental groups and state and federal agencies.  More than 100 local coordinators and technical service providers are available to assist farmers as they move through the MAEAP process toward verification. An average of 8,000 Michigan farmers attend educational programs annually, 10,000 Michigan farms have started the verification process and over 2,500 farms have been verified to date.

To become MAEAP verified, farmers must complete three comprehensive steps which include attending an educational seminar, conducting a thorough on-farm risk assessment, and developing and implementing an action plan addressing potential environmental risks. MDARD conducts an on farm inspection to verify program requirements related to applicable state and federal environmental regulations, Michigan Right to Farm guidelines, and adherence to an action plan. When completed, the producer receives a certificate of environmental assurance. To remain a MAEAPverified farm, inspections must be conducted every five years and action steps must be followed.

MAEAP is a multi-year program allowing producers to meet personal objectives, while best managing both time and resources. The program encompasses four systems designed to help producers evaluate the environmental risks of their operation. Each system – Livestock, Farmstead, Cropping, and Forest, Wetlands, and Habitat – examines a different aspect of a farm, as each has a different environmental impact. By participating in all four systems, producers can comprehensively evaluate their entire farming operation for potential environmental risks.

For more information, visit the MAEAP website at www.maeap.org, contact your local conservation district, or contact or contact Joe Kelpinski, MDARD’s MAEAP Program Manager, at (517)284-5608.