MSU Extension animal agriculture educators offer learning sessions for lifestyle farmers

Casey Zangaro<zangaroc@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

 MI Ag Ideas to Grow with Virtual Conference offered February 25 – March 7, 2025 highlights beekeeping, livestock production, environmental management and farmers markets.

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The Michigan Ag Ideas to Grow With virtual conference is an excellent opportunity for lifestyle farmers to learn useful tips and strategies to improve their farming practices and make their farms more sustainable. Hosted by Michigan State University Extension, this event is part of MSU’s Agriculture and Natural Resources month and will run throughout March. The conference includes various sessions covering agricultural topics with a focus on livestock production during the last week of February and the first week of March. Each session starts at 6 p.m., lasts about 30 minutes and includes a Q&A session for attendees to ask questions.

This conference is designed with small-scale lifestyle farmers in mind. Expert-led sessions will help farmers handle the unique challenges and opportunities of managing livestock in a productive and sustainable way. Whether you want to improve animal health, fine-tune your feeding strategies or integrate sustainable farming practices, the virtual sessions provide valuable tips and tools. You’ll also gain insights into breeding, nutrition and innovative technologies that can be adapted to your farm. The virtual format makes it accessible from anywhere, allowing you to join from home and apply the knowledge gained directly to your farm. It's a great way to connect with fellow farmers, learn from experts and plan for your farm's long-term success.

Livestock-focused sessions will take place the last week of February and the first week of March. Each session begins at 6 p.m. and lasts approximately 30 minutes, with time for questions and answers. Topics and speakers include:

  • February 24: Controlling Parasites in Sheep and Goats, Mike Metzger, 6 p.m.
  • February 25: Getting Started with Beekeeping in Michigan, Ana Heck and Meghan Milbrath, 6 p.m.
  • February 25: MSU Arability Program, Sam Wolfe, 7 p.m.
  • February 26: Effective Fiber Inclusion in Beef Cattle Diets, Jerad Jaborek, 6 p.m.
  • February 27: Swine Parasite Management, Beth Ferry and Casey Zangaro, 6 p.m.
  • March 3: Healthy Births, Healthy Calves- Management Parturition, Dystocia, and Newborn Calf Care, Cora Okkema, 6 p.m.
  • March 3: Handling Crisis with your Livestock, Paola Bacigalupo Sanguesa, 7 p.m.
  • March 4: Poultry Hobbyist- Essential Production Practices for Beginners, Francine Czerniawski, 6 p.m.
  • March 4: Keeping your Horses Health on and off the Farm, Tom Guthrie, 7 p.m.

The 2025 MI Ag Ideas to Grow With conference will be held virtually from February 24 to March 7, 2025. This two-week virtual program covers many aspects agriculture. It offers various educational sessions for farmers, landowners and homeowners interested in food production and other farming topics. There is no cost to participate in this virtual event, but registration is required to receive the necessary Zoom links. Registrants can attend as many sessions as they would like. RUP and CCA credits will be offered for several of the sessions. More information can be found at: https://www.canr.msu.edu/miagideas/   

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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Tag List
  • agriculture,
  • animal agriculture,
  • beef,
  • beginning farmer,
  • dairy,
  • horses,
  • mi ag ideas,
  • msu extension,
  • pollinators & pollination,
  • pork,
  • poultry,
  • sheep & goats
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