A Beginning Farmer Field Day took place Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at the West Central Michigan Research and Extension Center in Hart with 35 people in attendance. The event was hosted by the Oceana Conservation District (OCD), Michigan State University (MSU) Extension and Oceana County Farm Bureau. Topics covered were soil health, trickle irrigation, pest and disease scouting in fruit and vegetables, pollinator planting, soil and water stewardship, produce safety, community food systems and implementing a farm business plan. The target audience was for those who are interested in starting a farm or have just gotten started. Demonstrations in the field were part of the experience. Four specialty crops were highlighted with rotating stations at the end of the day: 1) Fruit 2) Vegetables 3) Christmas Trees 4) Chestnuts.
Presenters included several MSU Extension educators, Oceana and Newaygo Conservation District staff, Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDARD) regional staff, and local experts. Representatives from agricultural agencies USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA – Farm Service Agency, Oceana Conservation District, local MSU Extension office, West Central Michigan Research and Extension Center, Michigan Farm Bureau and MSUE Smart Gardening provided a short talk about the services they offer and provided take-home information as well. All participants also received a unique Beginning Farm Field Day baseball cap. For more information on this or other programs offered by OCD or MSUE; call the OCD office in Shelby at 231-861-5600 ext. 5 or MSUE in Hart at 231-873-2129.
