Our region has a rich history – and an incredibly bright future – in AgriScience.
Whether it involves planting, protecting, harvesting, transporting, processing, packaging, or marketing, the tremendous work ethic and business savvy of our fruit and vegetable growers and their operational partners have elevated our region as one of our state’s top leaders in AgriScience.
And one of the things necessary to keep our local growers and our entire economic supply chain strong is cutting-edge research; research designed to help our growers and operational partners increase their productivity and yields, and also help them decrease chemical use and other potentially harmful environmental impacts.
We are fortunate to now have the West Michigan Research Station in Hart fully up and running. It was about two years ago the seed for this fantastic 68-acre AgriScience research center was planted and then steadily grew over the last 18-20 months thanks to the generous contributions of expertise and resources from Peterson Farms and a host of other local donors.
The WMRS now stands as one of five M.S.U. partnered agricultural research stations in Michigan where college undergrads and graduate students can conduct their research.
Our research station is also the only facility of the five entirely financed and built by a collaborative of local growers and operational partners. This is quite a tribute to their commitment.
Along with supporting and strengthening our local AgriScience industry, one of the stated purposes of the West Michigan Research Station is to also help younger students in our region learn more about AgriScience and discover the many career opportunities in this field.
It was with this goal in mind that the West Shore ESD was invited to partner with the research station in providing educational programs in AgriScience once the construction was finished.
The first West Shore ESD sponsored program took place at the research station during the week of July 19. A free four-morning summer camp called AgriScience Everywhere was offered for 5th-8th graders from all around our area.
WSESD Superintendent Jason Jeffrey visited the “AgriScience Everywhere” summer camp one morning to see all of the excitement for himself.
“It was impressive!” said Dr. Jeffrey.
He said it was inspiring to see that by interweaving a wide range of hands-on lessons and interesting demonstrations by guest experts, Pentwater science teacher Erika Fatura and CTE AgriScience teacher Mark Willis were able to provide an action-packed curriculum highlighting biotechnology, food production, teamwork, ecology, water and soil conservation, apple breeding, fruit processing, and much more.
“I enjoyed the presentation about mushrooms by Nastasha Worden from Scottville’s Gourmet Mushrooms,” said Dr. Jeffrey. “Plus, being able to sit down and chat with MCE 7th grader Trevor Steffes about his new mushroom growing kit made my day.”
You're invited to check out the West Michigan Research Station.
You’ll appreciate the good work occurring there as well as how the planners and donors honored our area’s deep roots in AgriScience.
Click on the link below to learn more about the WMRS.