• Irrigation Management to Improve Yield and Water Use Efficiency While Minimizing Foliar Disease

  Published on February 19, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Irrigation Session: As irrigators your choice of when to start irrigating, how much to apply and when to start the next application result in how much irrigation water it takes to achieve the yield and the number of times the crop was wetted. We will explore some of the tools and techniques available to help you as an irrigator maximize yield, while minimizing water use and disease potential.

• Weather Outlook for 2021 in Michigan, Our Changing Growing Season Trends

  Published on February 19, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Weather and Wildlife Session: The session will discuss the weather outlook for the 2021 growing season. Jeff Andresen, MSU Ag Climatolgist, will discuss what his crystal ball has in store for growers for 2021, and how the changing trends may impact crop growth and pest management.

• Using the Enviroweather Station Data for Management and Building Your Own?

  Published on February 19, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Weather and Wildlife Session: The MSU Enviroweather system provides excellent weather information for agricultural management across the state. The system is getting a facelift that should allow users greater access to information and management tools. Keith Mason will be on hand to discuss these changes, what they will mean for users, and other potential tools the team hopes to provide to enhance crop and pest management decisions. Erin Lizotte, Long time MSU Fruit Educator, has now been charged with leading MSU’s IPM Program. She will talk a little about what direction she would like to take the program and ask for some input from participants on what you would like to see for more or better tools in pest management.

• Veterans in AG / Horticulture

  Published on February 19, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Horticulture & Natural Resources Session: Nearly 200,000 military service members re-enter the civilian job market every year. Many of them are turning to careers in agriculture to take advantage of their military skillsets or prior farm experience. In this session, learn about the most in-demand resources for veteran farmers, where to find them, and how to use them.

• Understanding and Minimizing Cold Damage in Fruit Crops

  Published on February 18, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Fruit Session: Review of winter and spring cold events, how cold damages plants, and measures growers can use to reduce the impact cold on their crops.

• Backyard Cattle Management

  Published on February 18, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Animal Agriculture Session: More people are interested in producing their own beef or supplying friends and family with beef. This presentation offers a nutritional perspective of raising beef cattle for freezer beef. In order to have cattle ready for your harvest appointment, this presentation will discuss different nutritional management strategies and their effects on growth and meat quality.

• Low Cost Sensors to Improve Irrigation Management

  Published on February 18, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Irrigation Session: There have been remarkable improvements in low cost, low voltage micro-processor systems available to the hobbyist “maker community”. These small computers have the ability to read and store data from a wide variety of sensors, and can be used to automate processes, creating opportunities for farmers to integrate this technology for data collection and management. Dr. Younsuk Dong, Michigan State University Department of Biosystems Engineering, will discuss his work in utilizing one of these systems to improve irrigation management, monitor leaf wetness, reduce the risk of crop diseases.

• Is Your Irrigation System Ready to Apply Chemicals, Chemigation and Fertilization

  Published on February 18, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Irrigation Session: With new diseases such as Tar Spot and increasing levels of gray leaf spot in corn as summer temperatures have been on the rise, there has been increasing interest in being able to apply fungicides and other crop chemicals through irrigation water. This session will walk through what irrigation system components and performance are required to achieve adequate coverage to apply agri-chemicals for crop protection.

• The Most Frustrating Weeds for MI Fruit Growers and How to Manage them

  Published on February 18, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Fruit Session: A review of the "who's who" of the most difficult weeds to manage with recommendations on various tools to use on them.

• Combat Nutrient Loss with Controlled Drainage

  Published on February 18, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Irrigation Session: Join this presentation to learn more about controlled drainage and how it reduces nutrient loss. See examples of control structures that can be used for controlled drainage. Learn about potential crop yield benefit. See examples of economic payback period for controlled drainage.

• The Mechanisms and Best Usage Practices for Most Used Fungicides

  Published on February 18, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Fruit Session: A discussion of how and why different classes of fungicides work, and recommendations on how to use this information when deciding on which to use.

• Home Irrigation

  Published on February 18, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Horticulture & Natural Resources: Home irrigation efforts should no longer consist of oscillating and circular overhead sprinklers at the end of a garden hose. Modern, drip irrigation techniques are a much more convenient and efficient use of time and water resources. This session will introduce you to the basics of design, equipment, installation, and use of landscape and garden drip irrigation.

• Midwest Water Stewards, Groundwater Monitoring Funded by Agriculture

  Published on February 18, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow with 2021 - Irrigation Session: Learn about the Midwest Water Stewards and their studies of potential irrigation impact to streams and wells in Indiana and Michigan, with 130 monitoring wells, 300 stream tests, and 55 million data points.

• Practical Monitoring Techniques Based on Insect Behavior

  Published on February 18, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Fruit Session: A review of common insect monitoring techniques with recommendations on when, where, and how each is best used. Examples of common insect pests will be included.

• Setting up Online Sales for Your Farm

  Published on February 18, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Animal Agriculture Session: Navigating the variety of options for online platforms for sales can be overwhelming. Finding one that meets your needs and accurately conveys the spirit of your farm makes a one-size-fits-all approach impractical. This session will walk farmers through considerations important for moving online, such as their current inventory management strategies, the spirit of their farm, current online marketing tools (i.e. Instagram, Facebook), and current payment processor or point-of-sale device.

• Draining Wet Spots in the Field or Draining the Entire Field

  Published on February 18, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Irrigation Session: Join this presentation to learn more about how to decide if you want to drain part of the field or the entire field. See a demonstration of the Drain Spacing Tool, which estimates the optimum drain spacing that maximizes profit. Learn about blind inlets that drain small depressional areas of the field.

• Solar Energy Lease Agreement Considerations

  Published on February 17, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Sustainability Session: With the change in Administrations in Washington, there is likely to be renewed interest in expanding renewable energy resources in the countryside. MSU Extension’s Charles Gould, Michigan State University Extension Bioenergy Educator, has been in the forefront of investigating ways to include solar, wind and biogas generation of power to reduce energy costs to producers. This session will focus on things to consider if you are approached by a renewable energy company to build solar generation on your or adjacent farms. We have asked Charles to discuss how these may impact your operation (or how to minimize the impacts) and what the implications may be for your neighbors and property tax valuation.

• The Realities that no one tells you about Owning Chickens and the Direct Marketing of Meat

  Published on February 17, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Animal Agriculture Session: Many people who buy chicks or even grow chickens do not understand the ramifications of owning such animals. Owning poultry is very different from dogs and cats even though they are of similar size, it is more like owning livestock and they should be treated as such. This presentation will introduce and familiarize potential and current poultry owners with the different aspects of raising poultry that they may not understand. Learn more about nutrition, housing, laws and regulations, sick poultry care, diseases and general considerations when owning and raising poultry. There are a lot of factors to consider when direct marketing meats to consumers. What are the required regulations and how do you follow them? Where can you sell your meat? What factors should you consider when choosing and working with a processor? How do you price the product? What are the impacts of COVID-19 on direct marketing meat and processor scheduling? This session will cover the basics of direct marketing meat and answer these questions and others you have.This presentation is included as part of the Realities That No One Tells You About Owning Chickens recording.

• Barley and Rye for the Brewing and Distilling Industries

  Published on February 17, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Sustainability Session: Does the growing craft beverage market in Michigan provide an opportunity for farmers to produce locally grown small grains? This session will discuss the current markets and requirements for locally grown barley for malting and brewing and rye for distilling. Topics will include management considerations and potential benefits/pitfalls when considering these specialty crops.

• Cover Crops as Forage: What to Consider

  Published on February 17, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Sustainability Session: Are cover crops forages or forages cover crops? In many ways they are the same, but there are important differences. This session will discuss considerations for growing cover crops for forage including species, timing, evaluating your stand and forage quality.