The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD), which was previously called the Michigan Department of Agriculture, is a part of the Michigan state government. It was created in 1921 to ensure laws about farming and how food is grown and shared. Today, agriculture in Michigan is worth $104.7 billion. The department is led by a five-person commission and a Director of Agriculture & Rural Development, who manages daily tasks.
Under Governor Rick Snyder, MDARD is part of the "Quality of Life" group in state government, which also includes the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Quality.
MDARD’s mission is to "protect, promote, and preserve the food, agricultural, environmental, and economic interests of the people of Michigan."
The department has six divisions. These divisions work to create new jobs in farming and food industries, keep the public’s food safe, check that animals are healthy, stop harmful pests and diseases that harm crops, protect the environment that farmers rely on, and make sure laws about weights and measures are followed.
History
The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (originally called the Department of Agriculture) was created in 1921 by Act 13 of the Public Acts of 1921. Before this, tasks related to agriculture were managed by different groups, departments, and individuals. The law that established the department combined all these responsibilities under one leader. Existing groups were dissolved, and their work was given to the new department.
In 2009, former Governor Jennifer Granholm issued an Executive Order to merge the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Natural Resources. This order also changed how the department’s director was chosen, making the Governor, rather than the Agriculture Commission, responsible for the appointment. In 2011, Governor Rick Snyder renamed the department to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. This change expanded the department’s mission to include economic, social, and educational efforts in rural areas.
Divisions
- Agriculture Development Division
- Animal Industry Division
- Environmental Stewardship Division
- Food and Dairy Division
- Laboratory Division
- Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division
- MDARD Executive Office
- Human Resources is now part of the Quality of Life Group HR Division
List of directors
- John A. Dolle served from 1921 to 1926
- L. Whitney Watkins served from 1926 to 1928
- Herbert E. Powell served from 1928 to 1934
- Samuel T. Metzger served from 1934 to 1936
- James F. Thomson served from 1936 to 1937
- Burr B. Lincoln served from 1937 to 1938
- John B. Strange served from 1938 to 1940
- Elmer M. Beamer served from 1940 to 1942
- Leo V. Card served from 1942 to 1944
- Charles Figy served from 1944 to 1954
- George S. McIntyre served from 1954 to 1966
- B. Dale Ball served from 1966 to 1980
- Dean Pridgeon served from 1980 to 1983
- Dr. Paul E. Kindinger served from 1983 to 1989
- Robert L. Mitchell served from 1989 to 1991
- Bill Schuette served from 1991 to 1994
- Dr. Gordon E. Guyer served from 1994 to 1996
- Dan Wyant served from 1996 to 2005
- Mitch Irwin served from 2005 to 2007
- Donald Koivisto served from 2007 to 2010
- Keith Creagh served from 2011 to 2012
- Jamie Clover Adams served from 2012 to 2018
- Gordon Wenk served from 2018 to 2018
- Gary McDowell served from 2019 to present
Boards and councils
- Pesticide Advisory Committee (PAC)
- Michigan Craft Beverage Council
- Fertilizer Research Advisory Committee
- Rural Development Fund Board
Office of Racing Commissioner
Executive Order No. 2009–45, signed on October 8, 2009, moved the responsibilities of the Racing Commissioner from MDARD to the Michigan Gaming Control Board. This order ended the Racing Commissioner’s position starting on January 17, 2010.