MDARD Opens Application Period for the 2026 Equine Grant Program

Dec 24, 2025

By Lynsey Mukomel

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the Michigan Horse Racing Advisory Commission (HRAC) announced today that they will accept proposals for the 2026 Equine Grant Program until February 27, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET.

Established by Michigan’s Horse Racing Law of 1995, the Equine Grant Program provides a total of up to $125,000 in grant funding annually for:

• The promotion and marketing of horse racing
• Equine-related research
• Equine-related support and aftercare
• Other equine-related or horse racing programs

To qualify for the Equine Grant Program, entities must be in good standing with the State of Michigan, must be able to provide financial statements for the prior fiscal year and must have been in business for at least two years. Additional program information, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available on MDARD’s website.

Source : michigan.gov

Video: Stress as a Nutrient Thief - Dr. Sarah Pearce

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Sarah Pearce, Research Animal Physiologist with USDA ARS, explains why stress can act as a nutrient thief in pigs. She discusses gastrointestinal health, barrier integrity, inflammation, feed efficiency, stress interactions, and emerging biomarkers that may help predict performance challenges before they occur. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article: https://academic.oup.com/af/article/1...

"Stress can steal calories and nutrients because energy normally used for growth is redirected toward immune activation, gut repair, and other costly survival responses."

Meet the guest: Dr. Sarah Pearce / sarah-pearce-phd-3a5881a5 earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from Iowa State University and currently serves as a Research Animal Physiologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Her research focuses on gastrointestinal physiology, nutrition, stress biology, immune function, and productivity in pigs and poultry. Learn more from Dr. Sarah Pearce on the Swine Nutrition Black Belt Podcast, available on all major platforms.