EAST LANSING, Mich. — Farmers can learn how to connect with their consumers during Michigan State University’s 97th Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Week.

 Hosted by MSU and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, this year’s event is March 3-10 in East Lansing. It offers dozens of sessions covering topics related to animal agriculture, beekeeping, environmental education, forestry, horticulture, natural resources, pesticide safety, sustainable food systems and farmers’ markets, wildlife, youth development and more.

“Connecting the Farm to Consumers 101” is March 7 from 9-11 a.m. at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center on the university’s East Lansing campus. Workshop participants will take home practical tips and tools designed to help farmers build stronger relationships with consumers.

The program will highlight survey information gathered through MSU’s annual “Breakfast on the Farm” program, which includes a self-guided educational tour of various farms across the state and a free breakfast featuring Michigan-made products. Data collected demonstrate how consumer knowledge and attitudes change after experiencing modern agriculture.

For more information, contact extension agriculture literacy educators Nancy Thelen at thelenn@anr.msu.edu or Mary Dunckel at dunckelm@anr.msu.edu

Two conferences focusing on lakes and on the shorelines are also on tap during ANR Week. “The Dynamic Great Lakes: Anticipating and Adapting to Change” will explore exotic species introduction, water level fluctuations and climate change. The conference is March 6 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

The event is free, but advance registration is required by March 2 by calling 517-353-3742 or visiting www.iwr.msu.edu/events/ANRWeek

“The Shoreline and Shallows Conference: Climate Change and Lakeshore Landscaping” will highlight shoreline landscaping and lakeshore restoration research and case studies. Topics include softshore engineering, a method of using native plants and other natural materials to help reduce surface water runoff, stabilize eroding soils, deter geese, improve fish and wildlife habitat and revitalize the lakeshore.

The conference is March 7 from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and is open to the public as well as professionals in the field. The cost is $35, which includes lunch. For more information or to register, visit www.mishorelinepartnership.org or email John Skubinna at skubinnaj@michigan.gov or Lois Wolfson at wolfson1@msu.edu

The Michigan Barn Preservation Network will host its 17th Annual Conference on March 9-10 at the Kellogg Center. The conference celebrates Michigan barns, farmsteads and rural communities and features 12 daily sessions. Themed “Barns in a Changing World,” the conference will feature and exhibit/vendor showroom, networking time, informative sessions, statewide Barn of the Year awards and a one-day bus tour focusing on six farmsteads northwest of Lansing.

The conference is open to all, with registration information on the organization’s website at www.mibarn.net and for more information, contact conference chair Vera Wiltse at 989-465-1216 or vera@wiltse.com

Woodland owners and those interested in owning forestland will learn how to carefully manage their woodlands during “A ‘Toolbox’ of Opportunities for Family Forest Owners” on March 5 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The conference features resources to fill your “toolbox” to ensure your woodland is a sound, long-term investment.

Registration costs $35 per person and includes conference materials and lunch. The deadline to register is Feb. 27, by sending a check payable to MSU Extension to: Georgia Peterson, MSU Extension, 11 Agriculture Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824. Contact Peterson at 517-335-7383 or petersog@msu.edu for more information.

A variety of other events include the Quiet Water Symposium, the Michigan Wildflower Conference, the Michigan Organic Reporting Session and Graduate Student Poster Contest, the Michigan State Rabbit Breeders Assoc. Annual Convention, the 84th Michigan FFA Convention, the Michigan Farmers Market Assoc. Conference, Introductory Renewable Energy Seminars, the Michigan Gladiolus Conference, an Artisanal Cheesemakers Workshop, Beginning Birding Workshop and more.

ANR Week has a long history as one of the largest events of its kind in the nation. In 1898, Michigan Agricultural College hosted the first statewide Farmers’ Institute “Roundup.” Five years later the roundup was combined with farm association meetings to become the first “Farmer’s Week.” In 1982, Farmers’ Week became Farmers’ Week and Natural Resources Days, followed by another name change in 1985 to Agriculture and Natural Resources Week.

The event now hosts more than 75 programs and annual association meetings. Visit www.anrweek.canr.msu.edu for a complete list of ANR Week programs, conferences and educational opportunities, or contact program coordinator Megghan Honke at 517-353-3175, ext. 229, or email honkemeg@msu.edu