Learn about MDARD's four bureaus, including contact information, by clicking the above link, or view specific information below.
Find a schedule of MDARD's public meetings online, or locate regularly published reports below.
This area contains information for press and media agencies: press releases, pics, alerts & videos
The Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development recommends and determines policy on food, agricultural, and rural development issues. MDARD oversees several additional boards and commissions.
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.
Live, work and play in Michigan's robust and diverse food and agriculture industry.
Laws and Regulations pertaining to and governing the actions and policies of the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development.
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.
Find funding for your organization.
Information about how MDARD's Agriculture Development Division can help you grow your business in Michigan.
Regenerative agricultural practices improve soil health and water quality
MDARD works with local providers of natural resource management services that help citizens implement conservation on their land and protect the environment for a cleaner, healthier, and economically stronger Michigan.
Farmland Preservation
Programs under the Private Forestlands Initiative, including the Forestry Assistance Program, Qualified Forester Registration, and Qualified Forest Program.
MAEAP helps farms of all sizes and all commodities voluntarily prevent or minimize agricultural pollution risks. We are here to help and recognize farmers who reduce erosion and runoff from private land into public waters.
The Cottage Food law, enacted in 2010, allows individuals to manufacture and store certain types of foods in an unlicensed home kitchen.
The food industry is responsible for producing safe food. Government sets standards, conducts inspections, and monitors food. Consumers also play a huge role in keeping their food safe and wholesome. Learn more.
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.
Good migrant labor housing is an essential element in securing an adequate supply of seasonal agricultural workers.
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.
For help with the sale, use, and disposal of pesticides, including labels and integrated pest management.
The plant health program protects agricultural and environmental resources through the early detection and management of invasive species and the inspection of plants and plant products for pests and diseases, while facilitating international and domestic commerce.
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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The western part of Lake Erie, also known as the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB), experiences seasonal harmful algal blooms (HABs). These blooms can contain toxins that are harmful to humans, pets, and aquatic organisms.
The HABs are made up of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) that need sunlight, warm water temperatures, and nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, to grow and produce toxins. Nutrient-rich water from wastewater treatment plants and farm fields, the effects of invasive species that increase water clarity, water temperatures over 70°F, and other factors can cause the HABs to grow.
Though the causes are complex, the State of Michigan is committed to improving the water quality of Lake Erie, ensuring safe water, and supporting healthy ecosystems. Michigan’s portion of the WLEB covers watersheds in four Michigan counties (Hillsdale, Lenawee, Monroe, and Washtenaw). Michigan is planning and implementing conservation practices to improve soil health and water quality in the region.
The state has developed tailored approaches to addressing point and nonpoint sources of phosphorus. The chart below identifies, defines, and provides examples of these two sources.
| Point Sources | Nonpoint Sources |
| Come from specific, identifiable locations, allowing for easier monitoring and regulation | Come from across the entire landscape, making monitoring and regulation more difficult |
| Examples: wastewater treatment facilities, concentrated animal feeding operations | Examples: fertilizer runoff, soil erosion |
|
Wastewater treatment facility. Credit: Great Lakes Water Authority |
Soil erosion. Credit: Natural Resources Conservation Service |
A picture of an algal bloom. 
A map showing the WLEB watersheds in Michigan. The watersheds are named after the major bodies of water that flow into Lake Erie. Michigan’s watersheds cover the River Raisin and the upper portions of the Ottawa-Stony Watershed, Bean Creek (called Tiffin River in Ohio), and the St. Joseph River that are part of the Upper Maumee River Watershed in Ohio. In May 2025, the State of Michigan released an update to its Domestic Action Plan (DAP) for combatting harmful algal blooms in western Lake Erie.
The DAP contains measures to reduce the phosphorus loading into the WLEB that drives algal blooms. The goal is to achieve a sustained 40 percent reduction over a baseline measurement taken in 2008. The Michigan Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD); Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE); and Natural Resources (DNR) review and revise the DAP approximately every five years based on progress and changing needs in the region. The DAP was originally created in 2018 following adoption of the targets in 2016 set through the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
The departments also created the 2021 Adaptative Management Plan (AMP), which is a companion document to the DAP. The AMP is a management tool used to evaluate the success of the projects outlined in the DAP and update those projects as needed to meet water quality goals.
Interested in the latest information on what is happening in Michigan’s portion of the Western Lake Erie Basin?
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