Due to the budget cuts, Michigan State University is scaling back some of its operations at the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station in the Upper Peninsula.
MSU currently maintains three dairy herds: one at the South Campus Farms on the main campus, one at the Kellogg Biological Station in Hickory Corners, and one at the Upper Peninsula Experiment Station in Chatham. Each dairy herd program was reviewed.
The UPES herd review revealed that no future research projects are being planned for the herd by either the Department of Animal Science or the College of Veterinary Medicine. Logistical factors, including distance from the main campus and the size of the herd, also contributed to decisions about the future of the herd.
The location makes it very difficult for faculty members to conduct research using the UPES herd. The distance is more problematic for animal scientists than for other MSU researchers. For example, a crop scientist lives at the station and can oversee agronomic projects for campus faculty members. Similarly, the small number of animals makes it difficult to conduct statistically relevant research in a timely manner. Ultimately, the final decision to disperse the herd was based on programmatic needs.
Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station administrators emphasized that dairy research will continue at the UPES. After the herd is sold this summer, the money will be reinvested into the UPES.
