MSU extends reach into the U.P.

Michigan State University is continuing to extend its reach in the U.P. with a series of informational seminars. The 13-stop tour delves into the minds of prospective agricultural students asking “What Now? What’s Next?”

A panel of MSU Extension faculty members recently visited Marquette to get a better feel for their presence in the region. They currently have University outlets in every county in the U.P., aside from Schoolcraft.

“We’re going through a period , we went through this in the 70’s, where we have a lot of people interested in the land again. They want to practice agriculture. I think we’re at the ramp up for that again,” noted Fred Poston, Dean at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources through Michigan State University Extension. “It was a huge strain because we had all of these people that didn’t really know much about it at all. But, it was an exciting time. I think we’re right there again.”

The Dean and his staff also want to find out about some of the agricultural ventures in the area that have sparked local interest. One MSU Extension program, in particular, has gained considerable traction in both peninsulas over the past few years.

“Every year, we have Discovery Days on the campus and a large number of 4-Hers come to sort of expand their horizons about what kind of opportunities there are for their different courses of study at Michigan State University. A lot of people can’t afford to travel to Michigan State University for a degree. They tend to be place bound. They might have to work. So, we have cooperative programs with community colleges. I’m a product of one myself. You can get a good education. We’re looking at expanding some of those programs more in the U.P. where people have to travel longer distances,” Poston added.

4-H Exploration Days consist of more than 200 sessions for kids 11 years and older. If you’d like to sign up head to http://msue.an.msu.edu/county/ and click on your county.