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Michigan’s Regenerative Agriculture Program preparing soil health management plans and new grants

A field coordinator is confident in the future of Michigan’s regenerative agriculture efforts.

Alex Svoboda with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development tells Brownfield the state’s Regenerative Agriculture Program has spent its first year building out soil health resources and networks with farmers.

“We’re trying to break out of some of the cost-share first models that have been out there,” he says. “I don’t think we’ve seen enough return on investment in those types of things and what they’ve been able to fulfill. We want to empower the growers with knowledge to make decisions on their land management based on what they’re seeing in their soil.”

Michigan’s 2024 Democratic approved budget incorporated the program into its Ag Department. Svoboda says when a new governor is elected next year, he expects the work to continue.

“Rather than focusing on streamlining and efficiency and consolidating our farm operations, let’s empower more farmers to grow more diverse crops, to have more profitable businesses, so they can stick around and further the agriculture community and feed our population,” he says.

He says next year, a soil health management plan will be implemented to help growers improve land management and identify ways to be profitable, as well as additional grant opportunities.

Brownfield interviews Svoboda during this week’s Great Lakes Expo in Grand Rapids.