Learn about MDARD's four bureaus, including contact information, by clicking the above link, or view specific information below.
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
Animal ID and movement requirements in the State of Michigan
Animal health resources for veterinary professionals.
Diseases affecting, or potentially affecting, animals in Michigan
Information on how to acquire a feed license to manufacture or distribute commercial feed in Michigan.
Rules governing the disposal of Bodies of Dead Animals (BODA).
Materials developed to provide information on how an individual may become a qualified Animal Control Officer.
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.
Fertilizer License and Registration Requirements, as well as Liming License Requirements
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Beekeepers VFD Drug List Producers Retail & Mills Veterinarians Youth
Historically, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who regulates the use of medicine in animals, has allowed select antibiotics used in or on animal feeds to be available to producers over-the-counter and without the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian. In 1999, the Animal Drug Availability Act (ADAA) of 1996 implemented a new category of drugs called veterinary feed directive (VFD). The VFD category is a part of the FDA's overall directive to ensure the judicious use of human medically important antibiotics. Recently, the VFD category was expanded to include medically important antibiotics fed to animals and is defined in FDA Guidance Document #213. The revised VFD policy puts into place important control factors that dictate the appropriate use of feed-grade antibiotics.
In the past they have allowed antibiotics to have label claims for therapeutic (prevention, control, treatment) reasons, growth promotant and feed efficiency. As a part of judicious use strategy, the FDA has aligned with drug sponsors to voluntarily revise label claims, removing growth promotant and feed efficiency. Since these products cannot be used extra-label, and the removal of label claims will discontinue their use for non-therapeutic purposes. This action will result in some feed products being withdrawn from retail.
Drug classifications and methods of distribution are determined by the FDA. A VFD drug is a medically important (determined by the FDA) antibiotic that has been approved for use in or on animal feed. To use feed containing a VFD drug, a written order by a licensed veterinarian is required.
A VFD order is a written statement issued by a licensed veterinarian that gives producers permission to use feed that contains antibiotics, as it is written by the licensed veterinarian. A requirement of the VFD policy is that a Veterinarian Client Patient Relationship (VCPR) must be in place.
All VFD orders must be kept in their original form (either written record or electronic copy) by the issuing veterinarian and a copy must be retained by the producer and feed distribution company. Both original and copies must be retained for two years.
A veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) is a working relationship between a veterinarian and a producer. The veterinarian's primary role is to advise and guide the producer (the client) in determining which medications are appropriate for their animals (the patients).
The expansion of the order went into effect on October 1, 2015, however, only a small number of antibiotics (tilmicosin, florfenicol, and avilamycin) were affected.
Not all antibiotics will be considered VFD drugs. The use of Injectable antibiotics will not be affected. At this time, the FDA has only moved antibiotics that are essential to human medicine and being fed to animals, to VFD status.
According to FDA Guidance Document #213, water soluble antibiotics, which are important to human medicine now require a prescription from a veterinarian. A list of drugs transitioning from over-the-counter to prescription status can be found on the FDA's website.
Medically important antibiotics, which are essential to human medicine as outlined in Guidance Document 213, are being added to the list of drugs being moved to VFD status. This includes products that contain: tetracyclines, lincosamides, macrolides, penicillin, streptogramins, aminoglycosides, aminopenicillins and sulfonamides. The FDA maintains and updates a list of VFD drugs on their website.
You can fill a VFD order at any mill, retailer or other establishment who is listed as a distributor with the FDA, find the list of companies on their website.
Questions? Please contact our MDARD feed expert by email at LyonsT1@Michigan.gov or by phone at 800-292-3939 or find more information on our "Producer," "Retailer and Mills" and "Veterinarian" pages above.