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Partner Report

St. Joseph County

612 E. Main St Centreville, Michigan 49032

Phone: 269-467-5511

E-mail: msue.stjoseph@county.msu.edu

Fax: 269-467-5641

Web: msue.msu.edu/stjoseph

March 2009

Impact of St. Joseph County Agriculture and Irrigation

Take a drive across St. Joseph County and one word comes to mind: agriculture. Since the introduction of irrigation in the 1960s and 1970s, the production of hybrid seed corn, vegetables, flower bulbs and highly productive commodity crops have become the focus of St. Joseph County. The combination of ample water for irrigation, well-drained sandy soils and a lake-moderated climate make southwest Michigan the center of agricultural diversity. Michigan grows a wider variety of crops than almost any other state in the nation—only California tops us. And a lot of that diversity takes root right here in southwest Michigan.

This diversity has led to a vibrant agricultural and food industry in Michigan that contributes $71.3 billion to the state’s economy annually. Irrigation plays an increasingly important role, ensuring that the high-value crops aren’t lost when there is a lack of rainfall during the growing season. Brief, but costly, water deficits can occur. The sandy soils that comprise most of our production areas in St. Joseph and the surrounding counties can become dry enough to cause yield-robbing drought stress.

Most areas of Southwest Michigan receive at least 34 inches of rain annually. That’s 10 to 14 inches more than necessary for optimal crop growth, but it doesn’t always come at the right time. Irrigating crops with an additional six to eight inches at the right time can make the difference between a failed growing season and a thriving crop. In July and August, rainfall often comes from thunderstorms, which can vary widely in intensity and coverage. Heavy storms can provide significant recharge of ground- and surface-water resources during the growing season. Precipitation received outside the growing season recharges the soil profile without significant evapotranspiration losses. Static water levels monitored in heavily irrigated areas like Constantine’s municipal well have not shown long-term lowering of the aquifer.

It is important to look at the potential impacts of ground- and surface-water withdrawal on wildlife and other natural resources on a local, state and regional basis. Concern about the potential for large-scale withdrawals of waters from the Great Lakes Basin led the Council of Great Lakes States Governors and Canadian Premiers to sign the Great Lakes Annex Agreement in 2001. This agreement provided a legal framework for the waters of the Great Lakes basin to be managed for the benefit of the residents of the region. It enacted a common set of standards for requiring permitting of consumptive uses of ground- and surface-water resources within the basin. President Bush signed a joint resolution of congress providing consent for the Great Lakes Water Resources Compact, which became effective on December 8, 2008.

Changes in Michigan water law, designed to enable compliance with but more restrictive than conditions outlined within the annex agreement, were enacted in 2008. These laws define how proposed irrigation and other large-scale water withdrawals are evaluated to determine if they will create adverse resource impacts. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) began utilizing a new Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool to estimate the impact of new withdrawals on characteristic fish populations in Michigan’s rivers, streams and creeks.

Thanks to the leadership of Lyndon Kelley, MSU and Purdue Extension irrigation educator, a series of educational programs were offered to help agricultural irrigators to understand how to comply with the new laws. Kelley partnered with other MSU Extension educators and specialists and MDEQ officials to create programs that provided attendees with the first opportunity to assess how the legislation will impact their ability to grow their businesses.

The USDA 2007 Census of Agriculture reported a farm gate value of $136 million for St. Joseph County. And yet we know that this value is only part of the story. It does not account for the value added by bagging and cleaning hybrid corn seed—the light manufacturing sector gets credit for those dollars and jobs. It also misses the economic multiplier effect of dollars spent on farm equipment and repair, trucking, fuel, fertilizers, property taxes and farmland rent in the local economy.

While it is not clear how this legislation will impact agriculture in the future, it is clear that it will be important to continue to find workable solutions to provide needed resource protection while maintaining this industry crucial to Michigan’s economic success.

Contact: Bruce MacKellar

269-467-5511

Market Livestock Educational Sessions for St. Joseph County 4-H’ers

This year, St. Joseph County 4-H youth and volunteer leaders were treated to a series of county-wide educational programs designed to enhance their understanding of livestock management and career opportunities. Monica Robison, 4-H youth educator, organized seven session and 4-H youth were required to attend at least one. In step with MSU Extension’s mission to bring research-based information into communities, several specialists from Michigan State University came to Centreville to tell about 90 youths and volunteer leaders over three hundred youths and volunteer leaders about swine, beef, sheep, goats, poultry, dairy and rabbits.

Ken Geuns, MSU Extension youth livestock specialist, talked about the dairy feeder project. During a joint talk, Darrin Karcher, MSU Extension poultry specialist, discussed disease prevention while Dr. Mick Fulton, DVM, helped 4-H’ers learn how to recognize and treat common avian diseases.

Several of the speakers not only addressed management and nutrition issues to help 4-H’ers

improve their livestock projects, they also helped members see how their 4-H experience could be parlayed into a career. Beth Franz, MSU Extension swine educator, talked about careers available in agriculture, while interspersing the talk with her own personal story of how 4-H helped her find a rewarding career. Joe Domecq, MSU Extension youth dairy specialist, delivered a riveting program about his experiences in the dairy industry, and outlined the numerous career possibilities available through Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

4-H members also benefited from attending programs led by speakers from the FFA and the commercial sector. While these sessions will help youth with their fair livestock projects, they also provided a window into the livestock business as a whole. Youths learned about cost-benefit analysis when they were shown the advantages versus the cost of feed additives. They learned how small management decisions can make a big difference in the final product they produce, and how careful planning is essential.

Perhaps most importantly, 4-H’ers learned that there are great opportunities in livestock, and the county fair may just be the first step to a lifelong career.

Representatives from Michiana Agra educate 4-H members on feed options for goats.

Michigan State University Extension helps people improve their lives through an educational process that applies knowledge to critical issues, needs and opportunities. Offices in counties across the state link the research of the land-grant university, MSU, to challenges facing communities. Citizens serving on county Extension councils regularly help select focus areas for programming. MSU Extension is funded jointly by county boards of commissioners, the state through Michigan State University and federally through the US Department of Agriculture.