More than 10 million acres of Michigan’s rolling hills, picturesque shoreline and fertile farm fields are devoted to agriculture. It is very likely that the results of Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs), Michigan’s plant agriculture initiative based at Michigan State University (MSU), research and outreach efforts have somehow affected many of the farmers nurturing that land.
Project GREEEN is unique – no other university has structured its plant research and Extension programs this way. The partnership Project GREEEN has forged between producers, industry, state government and MSU sets the standard for integrated research and information delivery to swiftly and efficiently solve grower and processor problems.
Producers are the ultimate recipients of Project GREEEN contributions to Michigan’s plant agriculture-related industries. The initiative fosters a strong partnership between MSU and the state’s plant commodity groups by working together to respond to grower needs and encourage integration and multidisciplinary programming in production management research, market research and value-added projects that would otherwise be impossible.
Project GREEEN celebrated a major milestone - its 10th anniversary - in 2007. Originally known as the Plant Initiative, Project GREEEN is a collaborative effort by plant-based commodities and businesses in cooperation with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES), MSU Extension, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) to advance Michigan's economy through its plant-based agriculture. Its mission is to develop research and educational programs, ensure and improve food safety, and protect and preserve the quality of the environment.
For fiscal year 2007, Project GREEEN awarded nearly $1.5 million in grants to 50 new research projects. A total of 72 new project proposals requesting approximately $4.5 million were received for consideration in this year’s selection process. Forty continuation proposals seeking $1 million in available funds were received for projects that started in 2005 or 2006.
Research projects were funded in the categories of basic research, applied research and Extension/education/demonstration. New projects were funded across the spectrum of Michigan’s plant agriculture industries, on topics ranging from combating colony collapse disorder in honeybees and developing pest and nutrient management guidelines for organic blueberry production to eradicating the plum pox virus and rescuing Michigan’s peach breeding program. Other research topics funded by Project GREEEN in 2007 include inventing new value-added materials from ethanol byproducts to minimize the amount dumped into landfills, creating safe and cost-effective solutions for renovating athletic fields for budget-strapped school districts, and developing on-site Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) demonstrations for greenhouse growers.
The next 10 years….
Project GREEEN strives to develop innovative, integrated ways to address emerging and unexpected insect, disease, weather, regulatory and economic factors to benefit everyone involved with plant agriculture, from producer to processor to consumer. It has set a standard for integrated plant agriculture research and education because it has the ability to solve grower and processor problems rapidly and allows plant agriculture and processing industries to maximize their potential.
As Project GREEEN enters its 10th year of supporting research, teaching and Extension, the question is: has Project GREEEN met its mandate? All signs point to yes. Michigan agriculture is a $60 billion industry employing more than 1 million people. With another decade of Project GREEEN impact, Michigan will be even better positioned to remain a major and competitive player in the global agricultural community.