Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development Annual Reports
Fruit and Vegetable Controlled Atmosphere Storage Licensing Details, FAQ's, & Forms
Want to know how to contact the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development? On this page you will find phone numbers, email addresses, snail mail addresses, and online contact forms for everything we do here at MDARD. We even have a complaint form for those of you with complaints.
Laws and Regulations pertaining to and governing the actions and policies of the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development.
This area contains information for press and media agencies. Press Releases, Pics, Podcasts & Videos
All public meetings, that fall under the Open Meetings Act, scheduled by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development will be posted here. Questions about any of these meetings should be directed to contact person in the division listed on the notice.
Animal ID and movement requirements in the State of Michigan
Animal health resources for veterinary professionals.
Diseases affecting, or potentially affecting, animals in Michigan
Rules governing the disposal of Bodies of Dead Animals (BODA).
Information about how MDARD's Agriculture Development Division can help you grow your business in Michigan.
Michigan's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) was created to help protect our environment and wildlife. Michigan is partnering with the federal government to implement conservation practices of great significance to the state, and valuable to the nation, in matters of soil erosion, water quality, and wildlife habitat.
Programs under the Private Forestlands Initiative, including the Forestry Assistance Program, Qualified Forester Registration, and Qualified Forest Program.
Good migrant labor housing is an essential element in securing an adequate supply of seasonal agricultural workers.
The Cottage Food law, enacted in 2010, allows individuals to manufacture and store certain types of foods in an unlicensed home kitchen.
Find a licensed firm in Michigan, from pesticide businesses to retail establishments, and more.
For the registration of horses, breeders and owners so as to render them eligible for racing and breeder/owner awards.
Retail Motor Fuel Outlet licensing information, applications and forms.
Information on Weights & Measures service person and agency registration, as well as weights and measures advisories.
Each new, existing, and proposed commercial pesticide or fertilizer bulk storage facility is required to register annually with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Information on how to acquire a feed license to manufacture or distribute commercial feed in Michigan.
Fertilizer License and Registration Requirements, as well as Liming License Requirements
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is charged with certifying sites where industrial hemp is to be grown under the authority of the federal Agriculture Act of 2014 and the state Industrial Hemp Research Act of 2014.
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March 01, 2022
Highlighting this year’s theme of “For the Sake of Equity”
LANSING, MI – Each day as commerce moves and consumers shop, a lesser-known program housed within the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is out there making sure weights and measures devices being used by retailers are functioning properly. This program works diligently to ensure a fair playing field within Michigan’s economy.
This year, MDARD is celebrating March 1-7, 2022, as Weights and Measures Week in Michigan in conjunction with the National Conference on Weights and Measures. These dates are designated every year to commemorate President John Adams’s signing of the first United States weights and measures law on March 2, 1799.
This year’s theme is “For the Sake of Equity.” The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way consumers shop and how businesses operate to adapt to those changes to stay in business. This means Weights and Measures regulators need to be nimble and adjust to ensure fairness and accuracy in the marketplace.
“Each consumer and business owner wants to know they’re getting what they paid for when it comes to goods and products across the shopping spectrum,” said Gary McDowell, MDARD Director. "Our Weights and Measures program staff are committed to accuracy in the marketplace. If a package or transaction is off even by a few cents, it can have long-term impacts on consumers and businesses budgets and our overall state economy.”
MDARD’s Weights and Measures program is responsible for everything sold by weight, count, or measure. Inspectors verify everything from the accuracy of gas pumps and grocery scales to the content of the packages that consumers purchase.
Inspectors across the nation, including here in Michigan, have been verifying and testing scales and meters and the net contents of packaged goods for many, many years. It may seem routine, but it is a constant challenge to keep pace with new technology and marketing practices.
Consumers with concerns about any advertisement, purchase, service, or transaction based on weight, measure, or count may call 800-632-3835 to register a complaint.