MAEAP verified 48 farms in July

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s (MDARD) Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) is recognizing 48 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:

  • Adam & Allison Dauer, of Pittsford, as a verified farm in the Farmstead System.
  • Badger Evergreen Nursery, L.L.C:
      • Bentley Farm, of Allegan, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
      • Borst Farm, of Allegan, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping System.
      • Buster Milbocker Farm, of Allegan, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
      • Frank Kelly Farm, of Gobles, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
      • Lawrence Farm, of Lawrence, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping System.
      • Menk Farm, of Allegan, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping System.
      • Ogee Farm, of Otsego, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
      • Redder’s Farm, of Otsego, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping System.
      • Sosnowski Farm, of Otsego, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
      • Villas’s Watson Farm, of Otsego, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
      • Wards Farm, of Allegan, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
      • Wrights Farm, of Allegan, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Bartholomew Farms, of Ottawa Lake, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Black Star Farms, of Suttons Bay, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Casillo-Perez Farm, of North Branch, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Christofferson Farms (Maple Hill Farms), of Ludington, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Cole Farm, LLC, of Mancelona, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Dave Miller Farm, of Owosso, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Dwight Bartle Farm, of Brown City, as a verified farm in the Cropping Systems.
  • El Rancho En Los Lomas, LLC, of Sparta, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Fruit Ridge, Inc., of Sand Creek, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Heritage Trail Farms, of Waldron, as a verified farm in the Livestock and Cropping Systems.
  • Humphreys Orchards, of Cassnovia, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • J-Rod Farms, LLC, of Ubly, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Joe’s Farm, of Schoolcraft, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Joseph Bower, of Bark River, as a verified farm in the Farmstead System.
  • Larry Sprague Farm, of Durand, as a verified farm in the Farmstead System.
  • Matthew Sprague Farm, of Durand as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Neal Ulrich Farm, of Sand Creek, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Nick Thompson Farms, Inc., of Blissfield, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Olds Farm, LLC, of Mesick, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Pickford Farms, of Gasper, as a verified farm in the Farmstead System.
  • Pincik Farms, of Corunna, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Pleasant View Dairy, of Jonesville, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Reed Valley Farm, of Mesick, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Rural Route 5 Farm, of St. Johns, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Schiedel Farms/Prairie Ronde Hops, of Schoolcraft, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Siegler Dairy Farm, of Imlay City, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Sleepy Hollow Farm, of Munising, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Stakenas Farms, Inc., of Freesoil, as a verified farm in the Livestock and Cropping Systems.
  • Stoney Ridge Farm, of Waldron, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Swanzy Farm, of Gwinn, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Verbrigghe Potato Farm, of Rock, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • W. Farms, LLC, of Elsie, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Washburn Farm, of Elsie, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Welden Farms, of Jonesville, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Wicke Crates & Produce, of Evart, as a verified farm in the Livestock System.

“By taking the steps necessary to become an environmentally verified operation, these 47 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 5,000 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 three years and action steps must be followed.

In March of 2011, Governor Rick Snyder signed Senate Bill 122 and House Bill 4212, now Public Acts 1 and 2 of 2011, to codify the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program into law.

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

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

Media Contact: Heather Throne

517-284-5725 or throneh@michigan.gov