Protecting Michigan Land and Water
Responsible Farming
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Farmers are Michigan's first environmentalists–good caretakers of the land that provides their livelihood. Over the years, Michigan farmers have:- Preserved more than 3.5 million acres of farmland–15,834 acres permanently–thanks to innovative agreements like the Farmland and Open Space Preservation Act and Purchase of Development Rights.
- Enrolled approximately 60,000 acres in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, including more than 15,200 acres of wetlands restoration.
- Saved more than $25 million in purchases and application of chemical fertilizers by recycling nutrients from livestock back into the soil.
- Used conservation tillage practices, which prevent soil erosion and runoff of sediment into streams, on more than 3.2 million acres of farmland–nearly 55 percent of the total planted acres in the state.
Sources: Michigan Department of Agriculture - Environmental Stewardship Division, Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)
Ag Ecology Award Winner
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The Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) Proactive Leadership in Ecology Management Award goes to an individual, farm or partnership whose natural resources stewardship practices contribute to the protection of the environment, while maintaining or enhancing productivity and profitability.
See the award presentation in the video to the right.