Our International Marketing team has been busy traveling to tradeshows to wrap up our 2023 activities!   

Three Michigan companies, along with MDARD, traveled to Cologne, Germany, to exhibit at the ANUGA Food Fair. There were 122 international buyer leads made, along with eight U.S. buyer leads. The participants of the show are also projecting their sales from the show in the next twelve months to be $3.41 million.  

Three Michigan commodity groups, including Michigan Apple, Michigan Asparagus, and Michigan Potato, recently attended the Global Produce and Floral Show in Anaheim, California. The show resulted in nearly $450,000 in projected sales for the next twelve months along with 22 domestic buyer leads and 34 international buyer leads.  

Thank you to the companies and commodity groups that attended these events with us!. 

We are looking forward to our 2024 activities! A list of our events is found at All Events (miagexport.com).   

The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) program addresses the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and Extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems.  

 Projects must address at least one of five focus areas: 

• Research in plant breeding, genetics, genomics and other methods to improve crop characteristics 
• Efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases, including threats to specialty crop pollinators 
• Efforts to improve production efficiency, handling and processing, productivity, and profitability over the long term (including specialty crop policy and marketing) 
• New innovations and technology, including improved mechanization and technologies that delay or inhibit ripening 
• Methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to potential food safety hazards in the production efficiency, handling and processing of specialty crops 

 Application deadline is December 8. For more information, read the SCRI funding opportunity. 

The Michigan Craft Beverage Crop Directory connects craft beverage producers with Michigan-grown crops. More than 50 farms are currently listed, with crops including botanicals, wine grapes, hops, apples, stone fruits, and berries. The directory has now expanded beyond specialty crops to include grains! We are looking for growers of corn, wheat, rye, barley, and many other grain types. Farms are encouraged to submit a free listing to expand into emerging markets with craft distillers, maltsters, and brewers. Crops in the directory are searchable by variety, location, and more. 

Search the Michigan Craft Beverage Crop Directory 

The Wastewater Infrastructure Fund is still accepting applications and will do so until all funding is exhausted. This opportunity will help companies to ensure compliance with the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy's Groundwater Discharge Permit. It is a cost reimbursement fund with a tiered system based on daily flow per gallon of the system to determine funding for different companies.  

For more information, visit Michigan.gov/MDARDGrants or contact us at MDARD-WIF@michigan.gov. 

The Rural Development Grant is now accepting proposals! This grant fund is a great opportunity to promote sustainability for land-based industries and to support infrastructure that benefits rural communities.  

Proposals for the grant are due on December 13, 2023 by 3pm EST. 

For more information on this funding opportunity, visit Michigan.gov/MDARDGrants 

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced $250,000 in available grant funding through the Agriculture and Rural Business Energy Incentive Program. 

The goal of the grants is to accelerate the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy on farms, agriculture-related entities, and rural businesses. 

The maximum individual grant award amount is $25,000. Applicants must provide a minimum of 100 percent match of the total requested grant funds. The program will accept applications until all funds are committed, or March 3, 2024, whichever comes first. 

Please see the Request for Proposals for more information on eligibility, examples of eligible projects, and scoring criteria. For more information about the grant, contact Michelle Rogers at RogersM13@Michigan.gov or 517-275-1288.