MDARD Awards Nearly $300,000 for Regenerative Agriculture Education and Outreach

Lansing, Mich.—The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced today that it awarded $296,299 to Conservations Districts across the state to expand and enhance education and outreach events that promote regenerative agriculture practices and farmer-to-farmer networks. 

“Regenerative agriculture enables farmers and landowners to remain profitable while restoring soil health and safeguarding our natural resources for future generations,” said MDARD Director Tim Boring. “These grants will empower Conservation Districts to provide hands-on demonstrations and education that help farmers and landowners implement regenerative practices in ways that benefit their soil and their bottom line.”

MDARD’s regenerative agriculture education and outreach grants help accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture across Michigan by:

• Showcasing successful regenerative management practices 

• Increasing awareness of both the challenges and opportunities associated with regenerative agriculture 

• Highlighting farmer-led innovation 

• Supporting farm-to-farm networking 

“This funding allows us to offer expert-led education on regenerative practices tailored to perennial farms, from cherries and apples to wine grapes,” said Adam Brown of the Grand Traverse Conservation District. “By improving soil health, reducing input costs and enhancing biodiversity in orchard and vineyard systems, we’re helping growers protect their investment and steward this landscape for the long term.”  

Today’s grants will support regenerative agriculture initiatives in the following 21 Conservation Districts across Michigan:

• Alger (Delta): $14,953 

• Arenac: $15,000 

• Berrien: $15,000 

• Blue Water (Macomb, Sanilac, St. Clair counties): $15,000 

• Charlevoix: $12,500 

• Eaton: $13,000 

• Grand Traverse: $15,000 

• Ionia: $15,000 

• Isabella: $15,000 

• Jackson: $15,000 

• Kalamazoo: $15,000 

• Kent: $14,969 

• Lapeer: $14,788 

• Mason-Lake: $3,687 

• Oceana: $15,000 

• Osceola-Lake: $15,000 

• Ottawa: $15,000 

• Saginaw: $15,000 

• Tuscola: $12,420 

• Van Buren: $14,982 

• Washtenaw: $15,000 

MDARD's Regenerative Agriculture Program is one of the first in the nation to be embedded within a state agriculture agency. The program is committed to advancing a regenerative approach to agriculture that fosters prosperity, enhances farm ecosystems, improves community health and supports resilient agricultural systems throughout the Great Lakes region. Since its establishment in 2024, the program has: 

• Launched a free soil health assessment initiative to help farmers identify management practices to boost productivity; 

• Introduced a new Regenerative Farmer Network Grant to promote farmer-to-farmer information exchange; 

• Established a demonstration farm to train veterans in partnership with the VFW National Home in Eaton Rapids; and 

• Organized regenerative agriculture trainings throughout the state of Michigan. 

Additional details about the regenerative agriculture education and outreach grants are available on MDARD's grant web page.

For more information about sustainable farming, visit MDARD's regenerative agriculture web page. 

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