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Office of Agricultural Science and Research

Office of Agricultural Science and Research

MDARD’s Office of Agricultural Science and Research (OASR) supports the scientific needs of the department by providing research expertise and facilitating evidence-based adaptive management across MDARD’s units and programs, with the goal of improving environmental outcomes and agricultural resiliency throughout the state. Additionally, our staff engage with internal and external stakeholders to communicate scientific interests and priorities, and to enhance research partnerships with academia and other local, state, or federal organizations. 

Contact Us:

Dr. Laura Johnson
Chief Science Officer
517-290-0365
JohnsonL95@michigan.gov

Our Work

Our wide-ranging work falls into these focus areas related to Michigan’s agricultural sector:

  • Emerging Contaminants

    Emerging contaminants are those chemicals, materials, or other pollutants which may pose newly identified or re-emerging risks to human health, animal health, or the environment. At MDARD, we’re most concerned with how emerging contaminants interact with agriculture and the broader food system.

  • Climate Resilience and Soil Health

    Climate resilience is the ability for agricultural and food systems to withstand changes in typical seasonality or weather conditions across Michigan’s diversity of food, fuel, and fiber production. Soil health is the ability for soils to support plant life, and healthy soils are critical to Michigan’s agricultural resilience.

  • Water Quality and Quantity

    Water quantity and quality refers to the amounts of water that enter into and exit out of our water system in Michigan, and the state of that water as it interacts with the landscape and human uses.

  • Animal Health

    Christopher gets sad when his cat and/or chickens are sick, so animal health has become paramount amongst MDARD's state priorities. Thank you to all the hardworking vets in the Great Lakes State.

  • Mission

    Our mission is to enhance and support the scientific needs of MDARD to help develop new programs and policies using scientific insight and improve on existing programs and policies.

  • Vision

    An agency where scientific research and policy interact in a meaningful way to ensure food safety and security, optimize animal health, and protect natural resources such that Michigan is a nationwide leader in agricultural sustainability and resiliency.