MAEAP – Agricultural Program | Van Buren Conservation District

Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP)

The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) provides educational, technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers and residents to identify and reduce groundwater and surface water contamination risks. The program encourages individuals to take voluntary, proactive steps to protect Michigan’s water quality and, therefore the quality of drinking water. Agricultural producers who participate in the program can become environmentally assured through the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). Environmental assurance indicated the farm is in conformance with state and federal environmental laws and guidelines, and that it is protecting Michigan’s important natural resources for the use of future generations. Purchases of nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides support the program.

MAEAP Technician, Kyle Mead, demonstrates some features of an emergency spill kit

Environmental Risk Assessments

Farm*A*Syst
The Farmstead assessment system (Farm*A*Syst) is an environmental risk assessment of management practices, structures and site conditions at the farm headquarters. The assessment helps producers identify and reduce risks to both groundwater and surface water supplies. More than 15,000 Farm*A*Systs have been completed to help farmers with environmentally sound management practices. Examples of practices evaluated within the Farm*A*Syst include; fuel storage, pesticide storage, fertilizer storage, and wellhead protection. Producers’ biggest benefit from conducting a Farm*A*Syst is knowing exactly what the laws are for Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Fuel storage.
Crop*A*Syst
The cropping assessment system (Crop*A*Syst) helps producers develop and implement a management plan to prevent contamination of groundwater and surface water in production fields, orchards and nurseries. Examples of practices evaluated within the Crop*A*Syst bulletins include; Pest Management and recordkeeping, Fertilizer management and recordkeeping, irrigation water management, irrigation water supply protection, soil erosion, and sensitive area protection. A producer’s biggest benefit from a Crop*A*Syst is often knowing exactly what management records should be maintained, MAEAP technicians can help producers create and maintain pesticide, fertilizer and irrigation records that meet State guidelines.

Benefits of MAEAP

The benefits for MAEAP Verified farms have grown tremendously in recent years. The biggest benefit to being Verified is in the Legislative Actions taken by Governor Snyder in March of 2011. Snyder’s actions gave MAEAP Verified farms protection from accidents and ‘act of God’ weather events and subsequent releases to the environment. Being MAEAP Verified also shows your neighbors and customers that you care about the environment and work to keep your farm sustainable. Producers can earn Restricted Use Pesticide re-cert credits for completing a Farm*A*Syst, Crop*A*Syst and for becoming MAEAP Verified. MAEAP Verified farms also have the ocasption to use MAEAP’s recognizable logo on their product packaging, farm vehicles and business cards as well as recieve special protections from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the event there is an accidental release of farm materials on the farm.

Environmental Risk Assessments through the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program are voluntary and confidential. For more information about MAEAP, please contact Kyle Mead, MAEAP Technician for Van Buren County at kyle.mead@mi.nacdnet.net.

MAEAP Technical Assistance Directory

MAEAP Technical Assistance Map

Other Services

Closing Abandoned Wells
Abandoned wells pose a health risk by acting as a conduit for contaminated surface water to move directly down to drinking water aquifers. Environmental risk assessments and financial assistance form the MGSP have resulted in the closure of more than 7,000 unused / unusable wells.

Emergency Farm Planning
More than 2,700 emergency farm plans have been developed for agricultural producers across the state. These plans provide vital information for farm workers and emergency service providers if an emergency occurs. The plans also assist producers with the important issue of agri-chemical and application equipment security.

Recently the MSUE bulletin, “Emergency Planning on the Farm” was revised with VBCD’s Kyle Mead leading the charge. The plan took on an entirely new look as well as an overhaul and update of the information inside. The information in the plan is now better suited to assist first responders all over Michigan during an emergency on a farm within their jurisdiction.

Van Buren County MAEAP Verified Farms as of 3/1/19

8th Avenue Farm – Bob O’Brien – South Haven
A&A’s Little Red Shed Farm Market – Andrew Nesbitt – Lawton
Alaga Farms – Mike Alaga – Decatur
Arthur Thomas Farm – Art Thomas – Grand Junction
Badger Evergreen Nursery, LLC. – Lawrence Farm – Lawrence
Barry Baser Farm – Brad Baser – Bangor
Bautista Blueberry Farm – Pedro Bautista – Bangor
BMP Farms – Gayle Branch – Covert
Cardemon – True Blue Farms – Dennis and Shelly Hartmann – Grand Junction
Carol Baber Farm – Carol Baber – Covert
Cedar Creek Farms – Jason Hartmann – Covert
Cherry Bay Orchards – Kurt Dowd – Hartford
Chuck Felcyn Farm – Chuck Felcyn – Paw Paw
Cornerstone Ag Enterprises – Tom, Larry Bodtke and Kay Trevino – Grand Junction
Covert Farm – Blue Star Farms, Inc. – Tony Marr – Covert
Cronenwett Farms – Brian Cronenwett – Lawton
D&B Farms – Doug and Beth Kuhn – South Haven
D.L. Thomas Farm – Don and Laura Thomas – Covert
David Alcaraz Farm – David Alcaraz – Covert
De Leo Farm Produce – Doug De Leo – Bangor
DeGrandchamp’s Blueberry Farm – Joe, Mike, Bob, and Katelyn DeGrandchamp – Paw Paw
Dorr Farms – Charles Dorr – Lawrence
Douglas Tree Farm – Michael and Wendy Douglas – Bloomingdale
Dykhuis Farms, Inc. – South Haven
Egly Land & Cattle Co. – Bob Egly – Paw Paw
Ellis Farms – Mary Ellis – Grand Junction
Frego Farms – Jerry Frego – Paw Paw
Fritzs’ Farms, LLC – Dan Fitzstephens – Mattawan
Galen’s Blueberries – Karlis Galens – Covert
Gene Sahr Farm – Gene Sahr – Paw Paw
Hemenway Farm, LLC – Matt RIggs – Lawton
Holtzman Blueberries – Mark Holtzman family – South Haven
Heinze Farm – Holtzman Blueberries – Mark Holtzman family – South Haven
Hunt Farms – James and Coleman Hunt – Lawton
Hunter Family Farm – Kelly Vander Kley – Mattawan
Hunt’s Hillside, LLC – James and Michael Hunt – Lawton
Jackson Family Farm – Mike and Sally Jackson – Marcellus
Jones Farm – Gary Jones – Paw Paw
Jubilee Blueberry Farms, LLC – Russel and Cheryl Sullins – Bangor
Kovach Farm Moss Funnel Farms – Frank Corrado – Gobles
Lake Cora Vineyard – Bill Johnson – Paw Paw
Leduc Blueberries, LLC – Joe and Chantal Leduc – Paw Paw
M.B.M. Blueberry Farms, LLC – Mario Bronowicki – Bangor
Marcial Lorenzo Farm – Marcial Lorenzo – Covert
Matthew and Creela Hamlin Farm – Matthew and Creela Hamlin – Bangor
Maria Bautista Farm – Jeronimo Mendez – Bangor
Mill Creek Blueberry Farm, Inc. – Deborah & Bob Jones – Watervliet
Moss Funnel Farms – Frank Corrado – Bangor
Muvrin Farms – Joe Muvrin – Paw Paw
Overhiser Farm – True Blue Farms – Dennis and Shelly Hartmann – Grand Junction
Patrick E. Hartmann Farm – Patrick Hartmann – Grand Junction
Paul Rood Orchards – Paul Rood – Covert
Pine Lane Berry Farms, LLC – Scott Vincent and Jim Vanderkolk – South Haven
Paulette’s Potting Shed – Paulette and Al Rybarski – Decatur
R. & S. Blueberries, LLC – Mike Sullins – Bangor
Ray Vales – True Blue Farms – Dennis and Shelly Hartmann – Grand Junction
Red Arrow Dairy – Rudold DeJong and Keith Dykstra – Hartford
Roedger Bros. Farm – Rich Roedger – Covert
Blue J Farm – Roedger Bros Farm – Rich Roedger – Covert
Schultz Farms – Matthew Schultz – Decatur
Shades of Lavender Farm, LLC – Janene Rawlinson – Mattawan
Sigifredo Morales Farm – Sigifredo Morales – South Haven
Spicebush Creek Farms – Mike Hill – South Haven
Steadfast Farm, LLC – Brian Morga – South Haven
Steve & Anita Friend Farm – Anita Friend – Covert
Stokes Blueberry Farm, LLC – Megan Stokes – Grand Junction
Straight Line Red Angus – Mike and Casey Bozung – Bangor
Sunridge Farms – David Adent – Hartford
Tavolacci Blueberries – Sam Tavolacci – Watervliet
True Blue Farms – Dennis and Shelly Hartmann – Grand Junction
Valley View Farm of Bangor – Steven Otto – Bangor
Van Buren Conservation District – Hayden Woods – Kyle Mead – Paw Paw
Wendzel Farm – Blue Star Farms, Inc. – Tony Marr – South Haven
Windshadow Farm and Dairy, LLC – Ronald Klein – Bangor

Accomplishments & Environmental Outcomes

Through the efforts by producers like the Verified Farmers in Van Buren County, over 2,500 verifications have been completed in Michigan. These 2,500 verifications has saved 32,000-10 yard dump trucks of sediment from reaching water bodies each year and found that over 600,000 acres of land receiving pesticides have made applications under an approved Pest Management Plan. Along with sprays and sediment being controlled, there have also been 14,000 acres of filter strips installed and the amount of Phosphorus and Nitrogen reduced through the actions of MAEAP and it’s participants could have grown a 1/4 inch thick blanket of algae that could cover Houghton Lake (Houghton Lake is the largest inland lake in Michigan)

Information collected from MAEAP verified farms used to calculate environmental outcomes:

Acres included in a nutrient plan or CNMP     —   1,430,917
Linear feet of buffer/filter strips —-    —-    —–      2,57,520
Acres of cover crops    —     —     —    —    —     — 209,017
Acres of conservation tillage   —    — —      —   672,205
Acres of no-till, zone-till, or grass cover —    —     427,024
Number of gullies stabilized —      —    —    — 5,836
Feet of livestock exclusion from water bodies — 497,408
Size of silage pad (acres)   —     —    —    —    —    193
Acres of Pest Mangement Plans — — — — — 1,478,743

Sediment Reduced: 2,131,667 lbs
Phosphorus reduced: 3,545,971 lbs
Nitrogen reduced: 7,746,249 lbs