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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.
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Rules governing the disposal of Bodies of Dead Animals (BODA).
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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.
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The Cottage Food law, enacted in 2010, allows individuals to manufacture and store certain types of foods in an unlicensed home kitchen.
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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.
Fertilizer License and Registration Requirements, as well as Liming License Requirements
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June 28, 2023
The dairy industry is Michigan’s largest agricultural commodity
Ortonville, MI - Today, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Deputy Director Kathy Angerer and members of the United Dairy Industry of Michigan celebrated National Dairy Month by visiting several local food and agricultural businesses, including Cooks Dairy and Ritter Dairy.
"The Whitmer administration and MDARD are proud to support Michigan's robust dairy industry, which includes 900 dairy family farms and over 445,000 cows," said MDARD Deputy Director Kathy Angerer. "These dairy farms produce enough milk to supply our entire state while meeting increased consumer demand nationally. MDARD is committed to supporting unique, diverse agricultural practices that will allow us to best support farms of all sizes, which will help Michigan's economy continue to thrive."
Since 1939, National Dairy Month has encouraged families to celebrate milk as their beverage of choice based on its nutritional value. Dairy’s rich history continues with communities, companies and people from across the region observing National Dairy Month in a variety of ways.
Cooks Dairy is known for keeping dairy production in-house; they grow the crops fed to cows, milk the cows, and make various dairy products, all on-site. The Cook family has been producing Grade A dairy products since 1933 and has opened the farm to the public to see how their day-to-day operation works.
Ritter Dairy is home to 200 dairy cows, in addition to growing corn, soybeans, and hay on an estimated 700 acres. The crops that are grown are harvested each fall to feed their cows for the next year. The Ritter family takes pride in raising the animals that provide safe, wholesome milk and in knowing that milk feeds families like theirs across the state.
Throughout 2023, MDARD will meet with Michigan's food and agricultural businesses to discuss how they can continue to succeed and how the department can best assist their continuous growth and expansion.
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