Jul 17, 2019Spending May MDARD’s Way: A Recap of May 2019 Trade ShowsBy: James Pierce, Intern, MDARD International Marketing Program At the heart of the International Marketing Program at the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) is a mission: to grow the economy of Michigan by helping our state’s food and agriculture companies export their products abroad. No time exemplifies…Food4 min readFood4 min read
Sep 20, 2018What’s the Scoop? Ice Cream. And Lots of It.Jessy J. Sielski, MDARD Deputy Public Information Officer, 517–284–5725 It was the middle of July, nineteen-eighty-something, and summer in Manistee was in full-swing. …Food4 min readFood4 min read
Jan 30, 2018An Idiot Abroad: My Outsider’s Inside View of an Asian Trade MissionJessy Sielski, Deputy Public Information Officer, MDARD With only a few regrettable exceptions, I have never been a big risk-taker. And on the rare occasion I have time to travel, it’s almost always to a warm beach, with a rum drink in my hand, a mediocre horror novel in my…Agribusiness6 min readAgribusiness6 min read
Oct 27, 2017Flash Détente and the Future of Michigan WineBy: Jenelle Jagmin, Promotion Specialist, Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council On a rainy afternoon on Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula, visitors gathered for the unveiling of Black Star Farms’ recently acquired Flash Détente system. The machine, large and loud, was housed proudly within a brand-new pole barn in the vineyard. Head…Wine5 min readWine5 min read
Aug 8, 2017Moving Goalposts (Part 4): The Challenge of Lake Erie Algal BloomsBy: Jessy J. Sielski, Deputy Public Information Officer, MDARD In the final installment of this four-part blog series about the algal blooms in Lake Erie, the author discusses the current and future strategies for addressing Lake Erie. (Read Part 1 Here. Read Part 2 Here. Read Part 3 Here.) What We’ve Always Known As…Agriculture10 min readAgriculture10 min read
Jul 24, 2017Moving Goalposts (Part 3): The Challenge of Lake Erie Algal BloomsBy: Jessy J. Sielski, Deputy Public Information Officer, MDARD In part three of this four-part blog series about the algal blooms in Lake Erie, the author discusses some of the challenges surrounding Lake Erie that…well…just are what they are. (Read Part 1 Here. Read Part 2 Here.) Things We Know but Can’t Change In the first…Environment4 min readEnvironment4 min read
Jul 17, 2017Moving Goalposts (Part 2): The Challenge of Lake Erie Algal BloomsBy: Jessy J. Sielski, Deputy Public Information Officer, MDARD In part two of this four-part blog series about the algal blooms in Lake Erie, the author discusses how some of yesterday’s solutions may actually be some of today’s problems, as well as the critical knowledge gap that needs to be…Environment7 min readEnvironment7 min read
Jul 10, 2017Moving Goalposts: The Challenge of Lake Erie Algal BloomsBy: Jessy J. Sielski, Deputy Public Information Officer, MDARD In this four-part blog series, an agricultural newbie attempts to explain one of the Great Lakes’ biggest challenges. Last summer, when I was just another Michigander enjoying the beaches in my hometown up north, I would hear about the algal blooms…Environment4 min readEnvironment4 min read
May 30, 2017MDARD Director, Lawmakers Visit Allegan County Wineries During ‘Michigan Wine Month’By: Jessy Sielski, Deputy Public Information Office Even though May is officially “Michigan Wine Month,” for most wine enthusiasts in this state, around the country, and even around the world, every month is a good month to recognize and appreciate the fine, unique wines Michigan offers. Ranking fifth in the…Wine4 min readWine4 min read
Apr 12, 2017Love Agriculturally: Notes from the 2017 Pure Michigan Agribusiness SummitBy: Jessy J. Sielski, Deputy Public Information Officer, MDARD As a relative newbie to the world of Michigan agribusiness, I had no idea what to expect when I walked into the Suburban Collection Showcase in Novi for the 2017 Pure Michigan Agribusiness Summit. I imagined it would be just like…Food5 min readFood5 min read
