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Learn How to Describe the Impact of Your Work on June 15

Many of the entities that fund your projects are asking you to talk about the impact of your research/education work, including the state legislature, Project GREEEN and the Animal Industry Initiative. You may feel that it is just more busywork, but impact statements are extremely important to the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU Extension and the entire university.

To learn how you can talk astutely about the impact of your projects, plan to attend the 2005 impact statement writing training session on June 15 (Wednesday) from 10:30 a.m. to noon in 1310 Anthony Hall.

Presenters include:

• Doreen Woodward, MAES assistant director.
• Doug Buhler, MAES acting associate director and Project GREEEN coordinator.
• Margaret Benson, former chairperson of the Department of Animal Science and AII coordinator.
• Jim Oehmke, professor of agricultural economics, who specializes in calculating impact.

You will learn:

• What impact is.
• How to talk about the impacts of your research.
• What questions you need to ask to determine the impacts of your work.
• How this information is used by administrators and communicators.

The session is free, and refreshments will be provided.

All scientists affiliated with the MAES and those who receive funding from Project GREEEN or the AII are strongly encouraged to attend.

To register, send an e-mail to Sara Long, Project GREEEN communications manager, at longsj@msu.edu. Please register by June 10.

Register today!

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MAES Acting Director Featured in Detroit Free Press

An editorial by John Baker, MAES acting director, on how President Bush's proposed budget cuts to agricultural research funding would harm Michigan was featured in the Detroit Free Press May 3. To read Baker's comments, visit www.freep.com/voices/columnists/ebaker3e_20050503.htm.

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High Fidelity Keeps Human DNA Assembly Line Humming

It turns out that building cars and building life have a lot in common – success all comes down to quality control.

MAES scientists have made a major discovery about the inner workings of genetic coding, mapping out the mechanisms of one of life’s most elemental functions: RNA synthesis. Their work has crucial implications for understanding how a normal cell forms a tumor and how a virus runs amok.

The work was published in the May 13 edition of the scientific journal Molecular Cell.

Behind the basic research is a story that melds exquisite nanotechnology in living systems and cutting-edge biochemistry and molecular biology with a system of checks and balances.

“RNA synthesis is at the hub of human genetic control. It’s important for understanding cancers, viral infections and normal human development,” said Zachary Burton, MAES biochemistry and molecular biology scientist. “If you want to understand and control things such as viral infections and tumors, this fundamental process has to be understood in every detail. This is basic science, but it's basic science with practical application.”

Burton and his team study how RNA is made from a DNA template. DNA is the genetic material that holds the blueprint for life. DNA dictates orders to RNA to make the proteins that give a cell its identity. Mistakes in RNA synthesis can lead to cancer or can support the life cycle of an invading virus. Researchers consider control of RNA synthesis to be a huge issue in human health. It is also the foundation of how living systems function.

In the world of molecular biology, much attention has been given to how RNA is made. Burton explained that it is similar to an industrial assembly line, with DNA being a conveyer belt to load building blocks, or bases, called nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs) to hook up with a growing strand of RNA.

Burton’s insight was to discover that the NTP bases preload to the DNA template several steps before they are added to the growing RNA chain.

This idea contradicts the prevalent view of how RNA and NTP bases hook up. Preloading of NTPs hints at a previously unknown quality control station to maintain accuracy of RNA synthesis. If an NTP doesn’t match up properly with DNA, the system stalls – and even backs up to correct the error.

“We’re able to show how an error will be sensed and corrected,” Burton said. “The quality control system checks NTP loading several ways. If it doesn’t match the criteria, it gets booted out.”

In addition to better understanding how errors are prevented, Burton’s research team also learned ways that errors are corrected during rapid RNA synthesis. To learn about error correction, Burton’s team stalled the DNA conveyer belt. They did this using a deadly mushroom toxin, alpha-amanitin.

Finding evidence of quality control gives some perspective to the elegance of cell creation. Burton said it does not mean mistakes never occur. The assembly line analogy holds up there. The human system has an acceptable level of error required to allow for the speed at which cells must reproduce.

“RNA polymerase is one of nature’s great designs,” Burton said. RNA polymerases are found in bacteria, yeast, plants and humans. The design has endured because of this fidelity mechanism for RNA synthesis. “This is a tried and true design, and our study explains why this is an enduring design.”

Other co-=authors of “Dynamic Error Correction and Regulation of Downstream Bubble Opening by Human RNA Polymerase II” are research associates Xue Gong and Chunfen Zhang, in Burton’s lab, and Michael Feig, MSU assistant professor of biochemistry and chemistry.

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June Water Policy Workshop Focuses on Future Value of Water

The sixth and final workshop in the "Shaping Future Water Policy: The Role of Science" series will take place June 10 at the Kellogg Center on Harrison Road. The morning lecture, from 9 to 10:15 a.m., is open to the public.

The workshop features Jerry Gilbert, head of J. Gilbert, Inc. His talk is titled "Resolving the Political/Sustainability Dilemma -- Integrating the Watershed." The best water management systems operate close to natural hydrogeological boundaries and have focused objectives. But efforts to manage water quality and quantity take place within political jurisdictions whose boundaries do not encompass the problem. These jurisdictions may have conflicting priorities, competing authorities and fundamentally different interests. Gilbert will offer insights that may benefit Michigan as a result of his work with New York City, Seattle, California and southwestern Pennsylvania to manage water.

Gilbert is a civil engineering graduate of Cincinnati and Stanford universities and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He was the executive officer of the State Water Resources Control Board in California, a member of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council and chairman of the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board. He played significant roles in the development of the Safe Drinking Water and Clean Water acts and California's Basin Planning Program. He also has consulted with New York City, Seattle and southwestern Pennsylvania on water planning. He is the co-author of two books on modern utility management that detail a new approach to water project delivery to reduce costs and achieve better performance.

The water policy workshops are designed to create a forum for discussion on how to improve and invest in a science-based policy agenda for the future for water use, conservation and protection in Michigan and the Great Lakes region.

For more information on the workshop, visit www.espp.msu.edu/water/.

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2005 Ag Expo Addresses Challenges, Offers New Programs

Farmers and rural homeowners are invited to help MSU celebrate its sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary this summer during the 26th Ag Expo, July 19-21 on campus. The 2005 event promises to be jam-packed with informative exhibits, hands-on displays and interesting demonstrations designed to keep farmers on the cutting edge of technology.

“Ag Expo gives people a chance to see and talk to numerous experts in the span of a few hours,” said Kirk Heinze, Ag Expo director. “We’ve expanded the show to include more on-site demonstrations as well as some fun experiences.”

Issues such as animal health care, farm security, soil quality, gardening and farm business software will take center stage during the show.

New exhibits include a toy tractor and crafts show and the celebration of the completion of the Michigan state soils map. Visitors perusing the grounds will be treated to the sights of dozens of antique tractors from the All Color Tractor Club as well as the Leslie Tractor Club Antique and Garden Tractor Pull.

“There’s something for everybody at this year’s show,” Heinze said. “We have hundreds of commercial exhibitors from all over the country as well as pertinent demonstrations of products and techniques that people can take home and incorporate on their own farms.”

As an added bonus, participants will get a chance to celebrate the university’s sesquicentennial with a 150th birthday cake in the MSU Agriculture and Natural Resources Communities air-conditioned tent.

“It’s our way of thanking people for their participation and celebrating this historic event,” Heinze said.

At the Ag Expo site, visitors can meet MSU educators from agronomists and agricultural engineers to foresters, veterinarians and animal scientists. They will be on hand to discuss their work and share information on various aspects of farm business management and production, new Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station research information and MSU Extension programs.

Ag Expo features commercial farm equipment and supplies from throughout the Midwest and several Canadian provinces on the 35-acre main exhibition site and the 40-acre field demonstration area.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 19, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 20 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 21. Admission to the grounds and parking at Farm Lane and Mt. Hope Road are free.
For more information about Ag Expo, call 1-800-366-7055 or visit www.agexpo.msu.edu.

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Michigan’s Tourism Industry Projected to Rebound in 2005

After four consecutive difficult years, Michigan’s tourism industry will experience modest growth this year, if a forecast presented at the Michigan Tourism Outlook and Legislative Conference proves to be correct.

A research team headed by Don Holecek, MAES scientist and director of Michigan State University’s Tourism Resource Center, projects that the number of Michigan travelers in 2005 will increase by 2 to 3 percent over last year's numbers, and travelers’ spending will increase by a similar amount. In preparing their forecast, the team reviewed trends in a multitude of factors known to influence travel activity in Michigan and surveyed industry leaders across the state.

The projected growth for Michigan’s tourism industry is slightly below the average registered over the past 20 years and would not be enough to recoup losses registered since 9/11 and the subsequent economic recession.

Holecek noted that many of the economic variables that the research team considers are less favorable for industry growth than they were at this time last year. For example, rising interest rates and oil prices are combining to slow economic growth in the United States. The unemployment rate in Michigan remains the highest in the nation. So, if not the economy, then what forces do the MSU researchers believe will boost tourism in 2005?

“An aging population with more leisure time and disposable income whose taste for travel is growing provides a base that is fueling long-term growth in demand for travel,” Holecek said. “Weakening current economic conditions will only partially offset this overall long-term travel growth trend.”

A Michigan vacation will remain a relative bargain in 2005 despite a projected increase in prices, other than for gasoline, of about 3 to 4 percent. The higher price of gasoline is not expected to significantly influence Michigan’s overall tourism industry, largely because positive impacts, such as encouraging trips of shorter distance, will offset negative impacts, such as some reduction in total number of trips taken.

Even more important in the team’s projection is the weather factor. Michigan’s prime tourist attraction is its abundance of natural resources. These are most attractive when weather conditions are favorable for outdoor recreation activities.

Unfavorable and abnormal weather conditions persisted in late spring and across much of the summer travel season in Michigan last year. This depressed performance of the industry in 2004. A return to more normal weather conditions, assumed in MSU’s forecast, supports the conclusion that the tourism business will be better this year than last year, especially in areas of the state and among businesses that cater to outdoor enthusiasts.

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MSU Receives $5.9 Million Kellogg Grant for Land Use Policy Research and Education

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has announced a $5.9 million investment over three years in the Michigan State University Land Policy Program to support land use policy research, education and innovation to be done in partnership with Public Sector Consultants (PSC), a Lansing-based public policy research firm.

“This grant continues the foundation’s commitment to increase awareness of important land use issues in Michigan through people and land programming,” said Rick Foster, Kellogg Foundation vice president of Food System and Rural Development. The principal partner in implementing the grant will be the MSU Land Policy Program (LPP), directed by Soji Adelaja, John A. Hannah distinguished professor in land policy and MAES affiliated researcher.

The people and land (PAL) programming idea has received substantial credit for helping to change the Michigan landscape. The PAL approach focuses on educating citizens and policy-makers about land use issues, informing them of innovative policy tools and alternative options, and convening organizations to understand various perspectives and implement appropriate land use agendas.

Through PAL grant making, municipal leaders have gained easier access to valuable training and information to help them in making land use decisions. Cities have been given tools to establish standards showing that they are ready for redevelopment — helping them to remove barriers to redevelopment while promoting collaboration between public and private sectors. As a result of dialogues facilitated by PAL, diverse partnerships have been established to help sustain Michigan’s agriculture industry and rural character by promoting local farmland preservation programs and green infrastructure planning.

Bill Rustem, the president of Public Sector Consultants, who directed previous PAL work, will serve as co-director of the Phase III PAL work with Adelaja.

“PAL’s accomplishments have been second to none in raising the awareness of land use issues in the state,” Rustem said. “But much more needs to be done. MSU’s Land Policy Program is positioned to take the lead in demonstrating how an engaged university and creative faculty members can support Michigan communities and government with research-based information as they work to make smarter land use decisions.”

“PAL III funding will allow us to establish a sustainable land use change infrastructure that will compete nationally in attracting resources to implement effective land use solutions in Michigan," Adelaja said.

"We at Michigan State University are excited to have the generous support of the Kellogg Foundation to enhance our work with the people of Michigan to find innovative solutions to one of the most critical issues affecting both quality of life and economic competitiveness," said MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon. "In the spirit of a 21st century land-grant university, we will build on our partnership through PAL and will align our research and engagement priorities to bring new knowledge to bear on the important issues of land use and land use policy."

Land Policy Program goals under Phase III of PAL include delivering focused, timely and relevant research to land use stakeholders, engaging university faculty members to provide appropriate expertise to Michigan communities and governments, leveraging Michigan resources to attract competitive national funds and reshaping the university’s Extension outreach activities to empower land use decision makers.

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Project GREEEN Garden Offers Fresh Food, Educational Opportunities for School Children

When Project GREEEN research funding was awarded to the Department of Horticulture to perform its winter baby leaf salad greens production research at the MSU Horticulture Teaching and Research Center four years ago, few would have imagined the ripple effect it would have on local elementary school students.

“Project GREEEN funding combined with sustainable agriculture research funding provided us with a means to experiment with growing salad greens year round in unheated greenhouses -- and the results led to grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant Program to start the MSU Student Organic Farm [SOF] and opened the door for a lot of other projects,” said John Biernbaum, MAES researcher and SOF faculty coordinator. Among these other projects was an opportunity in 2003 to partner with Lansing’s Gunnisonville School to expand its children’s garden to include a greenhouse.

“With the original garden, we were able to harvest the salad greens only before summer break, and then by fall the frost would get everything,” explained Laurie Thorp, MSU director of the Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment, who has worked closely with Gunnisonville School over the past five years. “Now we are able to have multiple harvests in both the spring and fall -- and the cafeteria has access to fresh, locally produced food that it can serve to students.”

Biernbaum reported that last summer’s completion of the greenhouse, funded by a North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program grant, resulted in fresh salad ingredients for the entire 200-plus student body by the second week of December last year.

“Kids do eat vegetables if you offer them something with flavor,” Biernbaum added. “Kids will eat spinach, radishes, carrots -- all kinds of things -- if they're fresh and have flavor.”

In addition to offering more variety in the cafeteria, Thorp and graduate student Emily Reardon worked with teachers at Gunnisonville to develop creative lessons on horticulture and science that satisfy the state-mandated curriculum.

“The garden and unheated greenhouse provide a living classroom that makes learning more meaningful to students,” she said. “The students take ownership of it, and it makes their learning more tangible.”

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Michigan Farm Marketers, Agritourism Operators Asked for Input

Michigan farm marketing and agritourism operators are being asked for their input on the creation of a membership organization to represent their interests and enhance the direct marketing of Michigan plant industry products and services.

“This project was designed to measure interest among farm marketers and agritourism operators in developing a membership organization to address the specific needs of this growing segment of the agricultural industry,” said Patrick O’Connor, MSU doctoral student and project leader. “Such an organization would help strengthen the network of Michigan farm marketing and agritourism industry members and create new linkages among its members.”

Industry member focus groups have been completed, and the next step is to conduct an Internet survey. O’Connor encourages everyone operating a farm marketing or agritourism enterprise to complete the survey. It is available at www.mi-fmat.org.

Many states have some type of statewide farm marketing and agritourism organization, but Michigan, with an estimated 3,000 such farm-based businesses, does not. The state may be missing out on various opportunities while other states are aggressively moving forward.

“No statewide organization exists in Michigan that focuses across all agricultural commodities exclusively on the farm marketing and agritourism segment of the industry,” O’Connor said. “This segment of agriculture has a common bond, not by what is grown but by how products and services are presented and marketed to consumers. Laying the foundation of the organization begins when people commit a few minutes to filling out the survey. There will be grass-roots industry input at each stage of the process.”

Subject to survey results, a working group will develop organizational structures and industry priority issues, which will be presented to industry members for review later this summer.

The proposed membership organization could focus on topic areas such as public affairs, grant writing, networking and educational initiatives, and collaborative promotional programs. In addition, the organization could help identify and foster expansion opportunities for existing enterprises and encourage new businesses.

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MSU Weed Guide Provides Growers with Resource for Controlling Weeds

Growers interested in the latest information available on weed management strategies can refer to a resource developed by MSU Department of Crop and Soil Sciences researchers.

The “2005 Weed Control Guide for Field Crops” provides information to help growers identify weeds and offers the latest weed control recommendations to help growers protect crop yields against weed competition.

“Certain weeds have become a greater problem here in Michigan as the number of no-till acres has increased,” said Christy Sprague, MAES crop and soil sciences researcher. “Growers need to know how to correctly identify the various weed species out there and how to effectively manage their crops against weeds.”

The guide provides timely chemical weed control recommendations for corn, soybeans, small grains, forages, dry edible beans, potatoes and sugar beets.

Researchers also developed a series of fact sheets on seven winter annual, biennial and perennial weeds. Each fact sheet contains information on the individual weed’s biology and identifying characteristics, and cultural, mechanical, preventive and chemical control recommendations.

Weed management recommendations were generated from MSU-based research projects funded by the Corn Marketing Program (CMP) of Michigan, the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee (MSPC) and Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Environmental and Economic Needs), Michigan’s plant agriculture initiative at MSU.

“Weed management is one of the most important aspects of crop production,” Sprague said. “Integrating research and outreach activities supported by Project GREEEN, CMP and MSPC into the 2005 Weed Control Guide provides growers with the most current relevant information on weed control.”

The "2005 Weed Control Guide for Field Crops" (bulletin E-434), which includes the seven weed fact sheets, costs $8.50 and is available for purchase online from the MSU Extension Educational Materials Distribution Center at www.emdc.msue.msu.edu/ or from any county MSU Extension office. The weed guide is also posted online.

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New Reference Tool Available for Michigan Nursery Industry

A new resource guide available from MSU will help introduce the state’s nursery growers to alternative production practices that could help improve plant quality and reduce fertilizer and pesticide use.

“Management Practices for Michigan Wholesale Nurseries” is designed to assist growers in reducing the quantity of fertilizers and pesticides used for nursery crop management by improving plant health, the efficiency of plant and soil nutrition programs, and the accuracy of treatment by timing and identifying pest infestation locations. The guide will also help producers make better use of non-chemical strategies for solving plant health problems and details methods for conserving water.

Many nursery growers have traditionally relied on using fertilizers and pesticides to grow their crops, but producers want to learn effective and economical means for minimizing the use of agricultural chemicals because of the hazards they pose to farm workers and the environment. Expensive fertilizer and pesticide applications also reduce producer profit margins in an already cost-competitive industry.

Topics covered in the reference book include soil properties and soil fertility, container substrates and nutrition, water quality and management, implementing a nursery scouting program, insect pests of nursery plants, weed management, plant disease management for the perennial herbaceous industry, and marketing insect- and disease-resistant plants.

MAES researchers and Extension specialists from MSU, the University of Tennessee and Mississippi State University contributed to the nursery management guide.

“Management Practices for Michigan Wholesale Nurseries” can be purchased from the MSU Instructional Media Center (IMC) for $100. Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) members are entitled to receive a 25 percent discount. Shipping and handling charges are extra. To order, call the IMC at 517-353-9229 or visit http://imc.msuvmall.msu.edu/imc/product.asp?sku=48000 to order online.

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MSU Fact Sheet Now Available for Homeowners Interested in Reducing Phosphorus Use

Urban communities, private homeowners and lawn care providers struggling to understand and meet the requirements imposed by the federal Clean Water Act can turn to MAES researchers and Extension specialists for help in learning about the law and how its requirements may affect traditional lawn care practices.

The central issue is phosphorus, an essential plant nutrient and a common ingredient in fertilizers used on home lawns and landscapes, golf courses and athletic fields.

Phosphorus is also one of the primary contaminants of surface water in Michigan, said Kevin Frank, MAES turf researcher. Elevated phosphorus levels in surface waters often result in algal blooms that make the water unpleasant to use.

“Phosphorus that gets washed into lakes and streams makes algae grow out of control [algal bloom], reducing the clarity of the water,” Frank said.

“Phosphorus is loading into our watersheds, but we are not 100 percent sure of its source,” said Tom Smith, executive director of the Michigan Turfgrass Association, an industry partner.

Phosphorus can enter surface water through the physical movement of soil or organic debris (tree leaves, grass clippings, animal waste), leaching or runoff from the soil, and direct movement of phosphorus from fertilizer applied to sidewalks, driveways or streets.

With support from industry partners and Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs), the state’s plant agriculture initiative at MSU, the MSU turfgrass team conducted a series of 10 educational seminars across Michigan in 2003 and 2004 on phosphorus use in turfgrass. Eighty-three percent of the turfgrass professionals who attended the seminars have agreed now to offer a low- or zero-phosphorus fertilizer program to their clients.

MSU turfgrass specialists have also created a fact sheet to help homeowners understand the phosphorus issue and select fertilizers low in phosphorus. The fact sheet, “Phosphorus and Home Lawns,” can be viewed online.

Frank said education can play a big role in reducing phosphorus levels in the state’s water supply.

“Homeowners and turfgrass professionals need to learn to take advantage of soil testing,” he said. “Through soil testing we have discovered that mature lawns quite often already have adequate levels of phosphorus. Under these circumstances, homeowners and turfgrass professionals can apply zero-phosphorus fertilizers to their lawns.”

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Project GREEEN Report Wins National Award

Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs), Michigan’s plant agriculture initiative at Michigan State University (MSU), has received a Bronze Award for the electronic version of its 2004 annual report in the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) 2005 Critique and Awards Program.

The award-winning entry was developed by the MSU Department of Communication and Technology Services multimedia production unit. To receive a copy of the electronic version of the 2004 Project GREEEN annual report, contact Sara Long, Project GREEEN communications manager, at 517-432-1555 or e-mail longsj@msu.edu.

ACE is an international association of communicators and information technologists in education, government and research. ACE develops the professional skills of its members to extend knowledge about agriculture, natural resources and human sciences to people worldwide. The group was organized in 1913.

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MSUE Director Appointed to State Exposition and Fairgrounds Authority

Tom Coon, MSUE director, was appointed to the State Exposition and Fairgrounds Authority Board by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in April. Other appointees to the board are:

• Pat G. Albright, owner of Albright Swine Farms.
• Karen Batchelor, senior vice president of public affairs for the Detroit Regional Chamber.
• Kenneth J. DeCock, partner of DeCock and Sons, L.L.C./Boyka’s Farm Market.
• Edward Deeb, president and CEO of the Michigan Food & Beverage Association.
• Elaine C. Driker, former director of the Detroit Orientation Institute at Wayne State University.
• Mark T. Gaffney, president of Michigan AFL-CIO.
• Robert G. Porter, mayor of the city of Ferndale.
• Thomas L. Valliere, manager of the Midland County Fair.

The State Exposition and Fairgrounds Authority Board is a non-partisan panel responsible for sponsoring the Michigan State Fair and for promoting additional year-round events at the site.

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USDA Unveils Draft Plan for National Animal Identification System

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns unveiled a thinking paper and timeline on the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and called on agricultural producers, leaders and industry partners to provide feedback. Both documents are available on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's NAIS Web site.

"The documents we're releasing offer a draft plan to move the public discussion forward on this important initiative," Johanns said. "We created these documents with guidance from the NAIS advisory committee and with a great deal of input from producers. We're proposing answers to some of the key questions about how we envision this system moving forward. Now, I'm eager to hear from farmers and ranchers so we can develop a final plan."

A comprehensive description of system standards will be determined over time through field trials, user experience and the federal rule-making process. These documents lay out in more detail projected timelines and potential avenues to achieve system milestones. For example, these documents propose requiring stakeholders to identify premises and animals according to NAIS standards by January 2008. Requiring full recording of defined animal movements is proposed by January 2009.

Consideration will be given to comments received on or before June 6, 2005. Send an original and three copies of comments by U.S. mail or commercial delivery to Docket No. 050-15-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. If you wish to submit comments using the Internet, an easy link to the NAIS docket and comment form is available on the NAIS home page.

State and federal animal health officials will be able to manage disease surveillance and control programs more effectively and efficiently as animal identification and location records are collected through the NAIS. They will also be able to implement electronic intra- and interstate animal movement tracking, which will permit rapid respond to potential disease outbreaks.

Eventually, the NAIS will allow animal health officials to identify all animals and premises that have had contact with a foreign or domestic animal disease of concern within 48 hours of an initial presumptive-positive diagnosis. As an information system that provides for rapid tracing of infected and exposed animals during an outbreak situation, the NAIS will help limit the scope of such outbreaks and ensure that they are contained as quickly as possible.

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Field Days and Special Events

Grand Opening of the Ernie and Mabel Rogers Research Reserve
July 12, 2005
8072 S. Jackson Road
Jackson, Michigan
4-7 p.m.
The Rogers Reserve, donated to Michigan State University by Ernie and Mabel Rogers, is a 116-acre property consisting of farm, forest and wetland environments in Jackson County. It will be used for research and teaching and will specialize in research on nut trees with commercial and ecological roles that are practical for small-farm alternative agriculture.

Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association 2005 Summer Field Day
August 17, 2005
MSU Horticulture Teaching and Research Center
9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Saginaw Valley Bean and Beet Research Farm
Annual Field Day
August 30, 2005
Registration starts at 8:30 a.m.
The field day runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Lunch is included.