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MSU studies organic grain processing in U.P.

Michigan State University is researching the possibility of an organic livestock grain industry in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Ashley McFarland, coordinator for the Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center, tells Brownfield a lack of organic grain production and processing in the region is limiting a growing organic livestock sector.  “Our biggest challenge in the Upper Peninsula for a lot of these budding industries that we’ve been looking into is the processing piece.  We know farmers can grow it and we know there’s a demand in the marketplace for it.”

She says the research farm is growing organic corn, barley and oats this season to find varieties and management systems that best perform during shorter, cooler growing conditions. The feasibility study will also take inventory of existing or unused infrastructure that could be used to process organic grain.

McFarland says additional small grain research in the Lower Peninsula is working with Organic Valley which could in turn create organic livestock feed for Michigan and Wisconsin farmers.  “When you grow grain and it possibly doesn’t meet the standards you would need for a human market, there is this huge secondary market of livestock feed that’s available.”

She says locally grown organic is important to the region’s consumer market and should help it compete from products grown in other parts of the country or even internationally.

AUDIO: Interview with Ashley McFarland

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