ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – On Thursday, the Michigan State University (MSU) Extension held its annual Agriculture for Tomorrow Conference at Bay College.
The event was an opportunity for farmers to network with each other, as well as with organizations like UPCAP, the Delta Conservation District, and MSU’s Institute for Agricultural Technology. Farmers and homesteaders also attended educational sessions on a variety of topics.
“New this year, we have a track that’s focused on local marketing—specifically, farm-to-institution marketing,” said James DeDecker, Director of MSU’s Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center. “This is for farmers that are interested in stepping up their game a little bit and selling to institutions like schools and hospitals as a new type of market for them, but also a way to grow their business potentially.”
According to DeDecker, the Upper Peninsula’s agricultural landscape is a diverse one. He says along with all the large-scale livestock and crop producers, the region is seeing a rise in small farms and homesteads.
“This is an opportunity to bring all those different groups together,” DeDecker said. “Sometimes in agriculture, we get kind of siloed, right? The field crop producers hang out with the field crop producers or the dairy producers with the dairy producers. I think that kind of cross-pollination is really important. It’s a necessity in our environment here in the U.P. to maintain that diversity and to just share ideas and share experiences so that we can all grow together and improve our businesses and our operations.”
The Agriculture for Tomorrow Conference was sponsored by the organizations listed above. To learn more about MSU’s Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center, click here.
