OVERVIEW OF OFF-CAMPUS RESEARCH AND EXTENSION CENTERS Douglas D. - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Michigan State University AgBioResearch

OVERVIEW OF OFF-CAMPUS RESEARCH AND EXTENSION CENTERS

Douglas D. Buhler, Ph.D. Director MSU AgBioResearch & Assistant Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Mary Weinzweig, Budget and Finance Manager Brian Graff, Assistant to the Director for Field Operations and Infrastructure

Michigan State University

MICHIGAN AGRICULTURE

• Second most diverse agriculture state in

nation

• $101 billion of annual economic impact of the

food and agriculture system

• 54,700 farms (average size: 180 acres/73

hectares)

• 90 commodity organizations

MSU AGBIORESEARCH (ABR)

• HISTORY: Founded in 1888 as the Michigan

Agricultural Experiment Station via Hatch Act

• Started as actual “experiment station”/research

farm for the study of scientific agriculture

• The mission has expanded to include a full

spectrum of research activities

• Renamed MSU AgBioResearch in 2011

MSU AGBIORESEARCH (ABR)

• MISSION: Engage in research that ensures

wise use of agricultural, natural and community resources and enhances the quality of life in Michigan, the U.S. and the world

• FOOD, ENERGY and the ENVIRONMENT

ABR: PRIORITIES

• Enhancing sustainability and profitability
• Food and health
• Environmental stewardship, policy & management
• Efficient food and fiber systems
• Families and community vitality

ABR: RESEARCHERS

• 330+ MSU faculty with ABR support
• 8 MSU Colleges:
• Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Natural Science
• Veterinary Medicine
• Engineering
• Social Sciences
• Communication Arts and Sciences
• Arts and Letters
• Osteopathic Medicine
• Multiple sources of funding/complex budget

model

ABR: CENTERS

• 18 on-campus

facilities

• 13 outlying centers

with specialties

• Dairy
• Livestock
• Dry beans/Sugar beets
• Fruit
• Food systems
• Bioenergy
• Forestry
• Potatoes
• Vegetables
• Cropping systems
• Natural systems

ADVISORY GROUPS

• State Council
• Joint advisory board for MSUE and AgBioResearch
• 22 appointed Michigan citizens (volunteers)
• Members represent urban/rural areas (geographic

and commodity diversity)

• Diverse membership; some with agriculture

experience/others without

• Advisory Boards
• Some ABR research centers have them
• Assessing need for all research centers

MANAGEMENT MODEL

• Collaboration with departments, MSUE, LMO
• Designed to fit needs of individual Centers
• Scope
• Location and land ownership
• Extension collaborations
• Budget development
• Constant adjustment
• Revenue generation
• Partnerships, grants and donations

MANAGEMENT MODEL

• Program and facilities
• Programmatic leadership
• Academic units
• Industry input
• Liaison between program and facilities
• Facilities
• Land Management Office
• Funded by and collaborate with College, AgBioResearch and

University

• University wide

50% 13% 5% 18% 11% 3%

State Recurring $2,328,000 State Non-Recurring $580,000 Project GREEEN State Funding $224,000 Generated Income $850,000 Michigan Tree Fruit Commission $533,000 Endowment Income $150,000

OFF-CAMPUS RESEARCH CENTER FUNDING FY’17 $4,143,000

STATE AND PROJECT GREEEN $3,132,000 Salaries: 75% Operating: 25%

Administrative Farm Managers Support Staff Technicians Labor Utilities Supplies Seasonal Labor Equipment Repair Capital Improvements

ENDOWMENT INCOME TOTAL: $150,000

• Research Endowment for the Upper Peninsula

Research Center

• MSU AgBioResearch Entomology Research
• Endowed Fund in Farm Crop Research
• Southwest Michigan Research Fund
• Kenneth Bull Endowed Fund for Cherry

Marketing

• John R. Rood Trust

$5,500 $45,500 $8,500 $8,000 $12,500 $70,000

MICHIGAN TREE FRUIT COMMISSION $533,000

Clarksville Research Center Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center Trevor Nichols Research Center Station Operations Trees Irrigation Upgrades Tractors Sprayers Deer Fence Road Improvements Storage Barns Pesticide Mixing Room Tiling and Land Prep Dorm Upgrade Picking Platforms Plot Fees

Other: Positions Apple Grading Line Faculty Research Projects

GENERATED INCOME $850,000

FY’17 Income Apple Sales Plot Fees Chestnut Bill Scrap Steel Crop Sales Equipment Resale TOTAL: $268,389 FY’17 Expenses Communication Fuel Equipment Expense Utilities Crop Inputs Supplies Salary/Fringe Contract Services Administrative Fee (2.0%) TOTAL: $199,339

Example: Clarksville Research Center

Clarksville Research Center

Corey Noyes, Farm Manager Brian Graff, Interim Coordinator

440 Acre Research Facility

Located 45 minutes from MSU Campus Providing infrastructure for researchers from the departments of:

• Entomology
• Horticulture
• Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences

Clarksville Research Station Management

• Station Farm Manager
• Horticultural Farm Manager
• Cropping Systems Farm Manager
• ¾ Time Secretarial Staff
• 5 Seasonal employees

Clarksville Research Station Committees

Steering Committee

• Chairs from participating Departments

with active research on station

• Station Faculty Coordinator
• ex-officio Representatives from

AgBioResearch and the Land Management Office (LMO)

Clarksville Research Station Committees

Advisory Committee

• One faculty member per department as appointed

by department

• One member of MSU Extension appointed by

MSUE Director

• One industry representative per commodity with

significant presence at CRC appointed by ABR Director

• CRC Farm Manager
• ex-officio Representatives from AgBioResearch

and the Land Management Office (LMO)

Plot Maintenance Fees

• Developed to help pay for the annual cost of

maintaining perennial crops such as apples/pear, cherry, peach/nectarine/plum/apricot, juice grape, wine grape and blueberry plantings.

Plot Maintenance Fees

• Activities include:
• Training/trellis work
• Pruning
• Tying, Tucking, Leaf pull, etc.
• Herbicide Program
• Spray Program
• Mowing/Tilling
• Wildlife/ mouse control
• Fertilizer
• Scouting
• Bees
• Projects are only charged for activities performed by

CRC staff as directed by the researcher.

Assigning Research Plots

• Researchers submit a Project Request Form

every year outlining infrastructure needs and timing.

• The document states what the researcher’s

responsibilities are and what type of assistance they require from station such as:

• Land
• Irrigation
• Fencing and trellis structures
• Cold Storage
• Specialized maintenance /research activities

Assigning Research Plots

• In February a meeting is scheduled with each

researcher to go over each project form with CRC staff.

• Research activities that fall outside of normal

maintenance included in the MSUE plot fee schedule negotiated.

• New Station policies as well as changes in state and

federal rules are discussed and acknowledged before the start of the growing season

• After the growing season the Faculty Coordinator

holds a “debriefing” meeting to help the station start planning for the following year.

Infrastructure Maintenance

ABR partnering with the Michigan Tree Fruit Commission in 2018

• Irrigation Well Maintenance

$85,000 50% ABR for Potato and field crop research 50% MTFC for tree fruit research.

• Refrigeration Upgrade

$425,096 25% ABR for Potato and Chestnut research 75% MTFC for tree fruit storage/research

• Irrigation manifold upgrades

$10,456

• Pesticide induction system for sprayer

$2,000

• Fertilization injection pumps (4)

$6,408

• Station Operations

$10,000

Infrastructure Maintenance

Past Projects funded by MTFC

• Irrigation Controllers Upgrade
• 2017 Apple Planting
• Tart Cherry Planting
• Sprayer Tractor
• Deer Fence
• Orchard Picking Platform

QUESTIONS?

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