Michigan Vegetable Growers Rely on MSU Partnership, Research

Oct 30, 2025

By Cameron Rudolph

For more than 60 years, the Michigan Vegetable Council (MVC) has advocated on behalf of the state’s vegetable industry, bringing together growers, processors, shippers and other industry organizations.

Since its inception, the MVC has valued research as a necessity to ensure the long-term stability of the industry. To that end, partnering with Michigan State University has been one of the MVC’s top priorities.

“Just about everything we do in research and education is tied to MSU AgBioResearch and MSU Extension,” said Greg Bird, MVC executive director. “We know the research staff at MSU, and we know their skills and abilities. Over time, the MSU team has been tailored to fit agriculture industry needs, especially for vegetables. So when we’re doing planning, we know what’s available at MSU, which researchers to go to for certain things, and we’re not starting fresh each year. We look at our priorities and know what MSU can handle.”

Source : msu.edu

Video: Residue Management

Residue Management conservation practice manages the amount, orientation, and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the soil surface year-round while limiting soil-disturbing activities used to grow and harvest crops in systems where the field surface is tilled prior to planting. This video explores how Ryan McKenzie implemented this conservation practice on his farm in Samson, Alabama.

Practice benefits:

• Increases organic matter

• Improves air quality

• Decreases energy costs

• Reduces erosion

• Improves soil health

The Conservation at Work video series was created to increase producer awareness of common conservation practices and was filmed at various locations throughout the country. Because conservation plans are specific to the unique resource needs on each farm and also soil type, weather conditions, etc., these videos were designed to serve as a general guide to the benefits of soil and water conservation and landowners should contact their local USDA office for individual consultation.