CONTACT: Holly Whetstone, AgBioResearch communications, 517.355.0123, whetst11@msu.edu
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State University (MSU) AgBioResearch is inviting the public to tour several of its outlying research centers this summer. The annual field days, which run June through September, will highlight some of the current research projects benefiting the Michigan agriculture industry.
The events provide an opportunity for guests to listen to and speak with some of the MSU scientists and Extension educators affiliated with work at the centers.
· The
Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) will host an open house on June 10. Learn
about the birds of Michigan’s agricultural landscapes and talk with the pasture
dairy staff about the center’s robotic milking machines and sustainable dairy
practices. Wagon tours start at 4:30, 5:30, 6:30 and 7 p.m. The center is
located at 10461 40th St. in Hickory Corners.
· The
Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center will host a Michigan wheat program
summer event June 26. For more information on this event, please contact Jody
E. Pollok-Newsom, executive director of the Michigan Wheat Program, at
517-625-9432. The center will host its annual field day Aug. 26 from 9 a.m. to
noon. Lunch will be served. For more information, please contact Paul Horny,
center manager, at 989-652-8014. The center is located at 3775 S. Reese Road in
Frankenmuth.
·
KBS
will also host a pasture-based cheese open house on Tuesday, July 8 from 4- 8
p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the cheese-making
process and sample KBS dairy’s pasture-based cheese along with other cheeses
from MSU Dairy Store. The center is located at 10461 40th St. in
Hickory Corners.
· The
Clarksville Research Center will host an open house and field day July 10, an
all-day event that will highlight upcoming changes at the station and ongoing
high-impact specialty crop research. The center is located at 9302 Portland
Road in Clarksville. For further information, please call the center at
616-693-2193.
·
The Upper Peninsula Research and Extension
Center Field Day will be held July 26 from noon to 5 p.m. Lunch will be served.
The public is invited to tour the research plots, including multi-species
variety trial plots that are part of a collaborative project with the Michigan
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. MSU faculty and center
staff members will be on hand to answer questions. The center is located at
E3774 University Drive in Chatham.
·
The MSU Southwest Michigan Research and
Extension Center will host the 25th annual MSU Viticulture
Field Day July 30 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. It involves a tradeshow, equipment
demonstrations, viticulture workshops, a showcase of southwest Michigan wines
and a steak cookout. For more information, please contact Diane Dings
at dingsd@msu.edu. The center is located at
1791 Hillandale Road in Benton Harbor.
·
The Montcalm Research Center field day is
scheduled for Aug. 7. Details on the event will be released at a later date.
The center is located at 4629 W. McBrides Road in Lakeview.
·
The Lake City Research Center will host its
field day Aug. 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Updates on the various research
projects along with a beef report summary are planned. The center is located at
5401 W. Jennings Road in Lake City. Please call 231-839-4608 for further
information.
·
KBS
will host tours on Aug. 12 from 4 to 8 p.m. Wagon tours of the pastures will
take place at 5 and 6:30 p.m. Stroll through the Michigan Agricultural Garden
with a naturalist, or walk the LTER Agriculture and Ecology Activity Trail. The
center is located at 10461 40th St. in Hickory Corners.
·
The Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research
Center will celebrate its 35th anniversary with an open house Aug.
21. Details and the program schedule will be available later. The event is
sponsored by MSU AgBioResearch, MSU Extension, the Northwest Michigan
Horticultural Research Foundation and the Leelanau Horticultural Society. The
center is located at 6686 S. Center Highway in Traverse City.
·
The Trevor Nichols Research Center will host a
research field day and Extension event Sept. 30 from 1 to 4 p.m. Results of
various 2014 field research will be discussed. The field day will focus on
insect and disease research and efficacy trials conducted by Larry Gut, Rufus
Isaacs, Annemiek Schilder, George Sundin and John Wise. The center is
located at 6237 124th Ave. in Fennville.
MSU AgBioResearch has a network of 13 outlying research
centers across the state. The centers are strategically located to allow for
research with various types of soils, elevations and climates in the regions
and the commodities produced there. To learn more about the centers, please
visit http://agbioresearch.msu.edu/centers
