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UP farmers provide feedback on USDA programs

Upper Peninsula farmers and stakeholders discussed the effectiveness of USDA resources created in the 2018 Farm Bill as part of a listening session Thursday as work begins to make improvements for 2023.

Jeremy Grey Cloud Sparks is the farm manager at Bay Mill Community College’s incubator farm and says farm bill funding has brought traditional teachings of the region’s indigenous community into classrooms while balancing principles of modern agriculture.

“That’s going to help forge a hands-on agriculture curriculum that they’re hoping to introduce that to the state on a larger level,” he shares.

Sheep producer Benjamin Bartlett says he’s been able to better understand the soil health improvements of his rotational grazing system.

“We had this suspicion that our grazing could impact the microbes in the ground just by animals eating the grass and we could validate that,” he explains.

Both received grants through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program which can help farmers fund projects that promote sustainable practices. 

The listening session served as a sounding board to improve technical support and programs while eliminating barriers in the region.