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Rural Development grants aid multiple Michigan food efforts
 
By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent
 
LANSING, Mich. — More than $1.5 million in projects were awarded Rural Development Fund Grants through the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), to promote the sustainability of land-based industries and support infrastructure that benefits rural communities.
 
The department received 73 proposals with requests totaling more than $12.9 million. Of those, 17 were awarded funding – including the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Foundation of Traverse City, receiving $170,000 to purchase 37 acres of property in cherry production adjacent to the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center to improve tree fruit research, particularly for spotted wing drosophila.

Michigan State University extension specialist Nikki Rothwell, who also serves as the research center’s coordinator, said MSU matched the grant, which allowed the Foundation to purchasethe property in time to initiate research during the current growing season. She said the invasive insect was discovered in Michigan in 2010 and is the key issue right now in the cherry industry.

“We estimate that we lost 20 percent of the tart cherry crop to this pest last  year,” Rothwell explained.

Spotted wing drosophila has become a serious pest of commercially-grown cherries, raspberries, blueberries and other fruit crops, resulting in the loss of more than $25 million. The adult is a small fly, which measures 2-3 millimeters. The adult female can insert eggs through the skin of healthy, intact fruits.

The next stage is a legless, elongated maggot that feeds internally on the flesh of fruits, causing them to rapidly decay and lose fruit quality. Rothwell said the land acquisition in Leelanau County was imperative to moving forward with research on this pest.

“In 2016, we maxed out our capacity to do research. We were land-limited,” she said.

According to Rothwell, one of the key research projects on the property is a landscape modification project, where researchers are exploring whether orchard modification will help control the pest.

“Our growers have been really good stewards of using integrated pest management. Right now, we don’t want growers just to spray for it. We were wondering if we might incorporate other things, such as orchard modification, to make the area less desirable for the flies,” she pointed out.

The research includes exploring whether more intense pruning, more intense cultivation of the sod row centers or other types of modification to the landscape would make the area less desirable for the spotted wing drosophila. “We needed sizable acreage to that kind of landscape trial.”

Another Traverse City-based entity also received funding through the grant cycle. Grand Traverse Pasta Co., LLC was awarded $72,250 for modifications and upgrades to increase efficiency and capacity for value-added wheat products.

Owner Bill Koucky said the funding will support upgrading equipment for seed cleaning and pasta production, which will increase capacity as well as funding third-party food safety verification, which will add value to products processed by the company.

Koucky originally began processing sunflower and canola oils four years ago through his other business, Grand Traverse Culinary Oils. A year later, he added flour processing and last year, he started the pasta company.

“We originally grew our own seeds, but now we work directly with other farmers to grow those seeds,” he said. “As a rotating crop, we looked at growing some wheat.”

Koucky said hard wheat is needed for the flour used to make pasta and bread, which is not widely produced in the area. In addition to its own use, his company also cleans and mills grains for other area businesses, such as the Grand Traverse Distillery and Zingerman’s Bakehouse in Ann Arbor.

“We have a little stone mill that is connected with the pasta company,” he explained.

“We mill our own flour from local grains.”

A challenge he said, became the need be able to clean a larger volume of grains prior to milling. “With the equipment upgrade, we’ll be able to increase our capacity, which in turn will lower the price we need to charge others for those services.

“Another part of the grant is mostly for equipment for pasta-making,” he said. “This will really increase our capacity from a large restaurant-scale pasta extruder to a real commercial operation.”

Pasta currently is sold under the Grand Traverse Pasta Co. label on a small scale at local grocery stores; however, with the equipment upgrades, the company will be able to meet increasing demands and will work to increase its market potential, according to Koucky.

“We’re very grateful for this funding,” he said. “It’s a big opportunity for a small company to be able to increase the capacity. Without it, I don’t know if we would be able to make the jump into a more commercial operation.”

Koucky is interested in talking with growers who may be able to supply hard red or white wheat or other grains. For more information, email him at wkoucky@gmail.com

Of the other 15 recipients, projects focus on a variety of infrastructure, equipment and facility upgrades, and research funding for agricultural producers, municipalities and other agencies.

“MDARD is proud to help support these important projects,” said department Director Jamie Clover Adams. “This is a great opportunity for us to give Michigan businesses a boost, improve local infrastructure around the state and ultimately open the door for the creation of more good-paying jobs.” 
7/19/2017