MAEAP verified 60 farms in April

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s (MDARD) Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) is recognizing 60 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:

  • Alpers Farms, of Lake Leelanau, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Anthony & Holly Cinzori, of Ceresco, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Arlene Hops Farm, of Manton, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Aunt Bea’s Place, of Addison, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Bierlein Farm, of Reese, as a verified farm in the Farmstead System.
  • Blueberry Valley – Cornerstone Ag Enterprises, LLC, of Pullman, as a verified farm in the Farmstead System.
  • Bruce Blonde Farm, of Litchfield, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Bruce Shedd Farm, of Tekonsha, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Burns Poultry Farms, Inc., of Millington, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Calhoun Farms, of Monroe, as a verified farm in the Livestock and Farmstead Systems.
  • Cornerstone Ag Enterprises, of Grand Junction, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Craig & Linda Newland, of Otsego, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Daniel Gust Farm, of Ottawa Lake, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Douglas Tree Farm, of Bloomingdale, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Elmaple Farm, LLC, of Kalkaska, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • End Road Farm, of Falmouth, as a verified farm in the Livestock and Cropping Systems.
  • Fertile Valley Seed Farm, of Unionville, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Freeman Farms, of Corunna, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Frey Farm, of Charlotte, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Hantz Farms, LLC, of Detroit, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Hintz Farms, LLC, of Hart, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Holdwick Farms Inc., of Harbor Beach, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Howell Farms, of Osseo, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Hunt Family Farm, of Lachine, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • J & S Farm Market, of Battle Creek, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • J & S Farms, of Scotts, as a verified farm in the Farmstead System.
  • Kondel Farms, LLC, of Owosso, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Little Creeks Farm, of Leslie, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • McLaughlin Farm, LTD, of Jackson, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Misty Meadows Farm, of Clayton, as a verified farm in the Livestock and Farmstead Systems.
  • Mitchell Creek, LLC, of Whittemore, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • MSU Horticulture Teaching & Research Center, of Holt, as a verified farm in the Livestock and Cropping Systems.
  • MSU Kellogg Biological Station, of Hickory Corner, as a verified farm in the Livestock and Farmstead Systems.
  • MSU Lake City Experiment Station, MSU Research Farm, of Lake City, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • MSU Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center, of Frankenmuth, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • MSU University Farms Service Center, of Lansing, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Nate Gust Farm, of Ottawa Lake, as a verified farm in the Farmstead System.
  • O’Hair Farms, Inc., of Croswell, as a verified farm in the Livestock System.
  • Otis Farms, of Coldwater, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Pine Lane Farm, of Kalamazoo, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Pure Mitten Hops, of Coopersville, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Red Path Orchards, of Lake Leelanau, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Reinbold Organic Farms, LLC, of Caro, as a verified farm in the Farmstead System.
  • Royal Farms, Inc., of Ellsworth, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Rumfield Farms, of Sunfield, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Running V Ranch, of Marion, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Russell & Sons, of Akron, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Rutten Farms, of Scotts, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Schaeff Farms, of Saginaw, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Schmandt Farms, of Vassar, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Sears Farms, of Horton, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Shedd Farms, of Tekonsha, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Smuts Farms, of Charlotte, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Somerville Farms, of Somerville, as a verified farm in the Cropping System.
  • Spruce Acres, of Hillsdale, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • VerSynder Orchards, of Lake Leelanau, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • VerSnyder Greenhouse, of Lake Leelanau, as a verified farm in the Greenhouse Farmstead and Greenhouse Cropping Systems.
  • Victoria Farms, of Saginaw, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Vollmar Farms, of Cass City, as a verified farm in the Farmstead and Cropping Systems.
  • Yonkman Dairy, LLC, of McBain, as a verified farm in the Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping Systems.

“By taking the steps necessary to become an environmentally verified operation, these 60 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