Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development Annual Reports

Fruit and Vegetable Controlled Atmosphere Storage Licensing Details, FAQ's, & Forms

Want to know how to contact the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development? On this page you will find phone numbers, email addresses, snail mail addresses, and online contact forms for everything we do here at MDARD. We even have a complaint form for those of you with complaints.

Laws and Regulations pertaining to and governing the actions and policies of the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development.

This area contains information for press and media agencies. Press Releases, Pics, Podcasts & Videos

List of services offered on Michigan.gov by MDARD

All public meetings, that fall under the Open Meetings Act, scheduled by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development will be posted here. Questions about any of these meetings should be directed to contact person in the division listed on the notice.

Animal ID and movement requirements in the State of Michigan

Animal health resources for veterinary professionals.

Diseases affecting, or potentially affecting, animals in Michigan

Requirements to exhibit livestock in Michigan and more.

Rules governing the disposal of Bodies of Dead Animals (BODA).

Information about how MDARD's Agriculture Development Division can help you grow your business in Michigan.

Michigan's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) was created to help protect our environment and wildlife. Michigan is partnering with the federal government to implement conservation practices of great significance to the state, and valuable to the nation, in matters of soil erosion, water quality, and wildlife habitat.

Programs under the Private Forestlands Initiative, including the Forestry Assistance Program, Qualified Forester Registration, and Qualified Forest Program.

Good migrant labor housing is an essential element in securing an adequate supply of seasonal agricultural workers.

The Cottage Food law, enacted in 2010, allows individuals to manufacture and store certain types of foods in an unlicensed home kitchen.

Find a licensed firm in Michigan, from pesticide businesses to retail establishments, and more.

For the registration of horses, breeders and owners so as to render them eligible for racing and breeder/owner awards.

Retail Motor Fuel Outlet licensing information, applications and forms.

Information on Weights & Measures service person and agency registration, as well as weights and measures advisories.

Each new, existing, and proposed commercial pesticide or fertilizer bulk storage facility is required to register annually with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Information on how to acquire a feed license to manufacture or distribute commercial feed in Michigan.

Fertilizer License and Registration Requirements, as well as Liming License Requirements

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is charged with certifying sites where industrial hemp is to be grown under the authority of the federal Agriculture Act of 2014 and the state Industrial Hemp Research Act of 2014.

The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. 

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is asking for the public’s help by being on the lookout for spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect with the potential to seriously affect Michigan’s agriculture and natural resources. This insect feeds on more than 70 different plants including grapes, apples, hops, and hardwood trees.

“Our agricultural and natural resources are part of Michigan’s identity and spotted lanternfly has the potential to forever change that landscape,” said Robert Miller, MDARD’s invasive species prevention and response specialist within the Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division. “With its ability to wreak havoc grapes, apples, hops, stone fruits and more, this could be devastating to Michigan’s farmers and the state’s food and agriculture industry.”

First detected in the United States in 2014 in southeastern Pennsylvania, spotted lanternfly has been spreading rapidly across the northeastern states. To date, infestations have been confirmed in Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Although live spotted lanternfly has not been detected in Michigan, MDARD and the United States Department of Agriculture have confirmed five cases of dead spotted lanternfly found in separate locations across the state. In these cases, the dead insects were found in packaging materials or objects shipped from states with known infestations.

Spotted lanternflies cannot fly long distances, but they lay eggs on nearly any surface like cars, trailers, firewood, outdoor furniture and more. Before leaving an area, MDARD is asking people to check vehicles, firewood and outdoor equipment for unwanted hitchhikers. Individuals and businesses receiving shipments from states known to have spotted lanternfly should also be on the lookout for adults or egg masses on goods and packing materials.

“With the current rate of spread, it is possible spotted lanternfly could reach Michigan at any time,” Miller added. “Public awareness and reporting are essential to early detection, which provides the opportunity to contain an infestation before it becomes a widespread problem.”

Spotted lanternfly causes direct damage by sucking sap from host plants while secreting large amounts of a sugar-rich, sticky liquid called honeydew. This honeydew and the resulting black sooty mold can kill plants and foul surfaces. The honeydew often attracts other pests like yellow jackets, flies, and ants, affecting outdoor recreation and complicating crop harvests.

From late summer to the first hard frost, spotted lanternflies are in their adult stage and easiest to identify. Adults are roughly one inch long. Their folded wings are gray to brown with black spots. Open wings reveal a yellow and black abdomen and bright red hind wings with black spots transitioning to black and white bands at the edge.

Female spotted lanternfly lay egg masses in the fall, which resemble old chewing gum, with a gray, waxy, putty-like coating. Egg masses can survive winter temperatures to hatch in the spring. Hatched eggs appear as brownish, seed-like deposits. Spotted lanternfly juveniles are wingless and are black with white spots, developing red patches in their final juvenile stage. 

If you find a spotted lanternfly egg mass, juvenile or adult, take one or more photos, make note of the date, time and location of the sighting, and report it to MDARD via email at MDA-Info@Michigan.gov or by calling 800-292-3939. If possible, collect a specimen in a container for verification.

Before traveling, check out the map of confirmed spotted lanternfly locations. For additional information on identifying or reporting, visit Michigan.gov/SpottedLanternfly.

About The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) works to assure food safety, protect animal and plant health, sustain environmental stewardship, provide consumer protection, enable rural development and foster efficient administration operations through service, partnership and collaboration.

Contact Us Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Constitution Hall, 6th Floor 525 W. Allegan Street P.O. Box 30017 Lansing, MI 48909 800-292-3939

At MDARD, we encourage and embrace innovation, creativity, and growth, so we can provide the best possible service to our food and agriculture businesses, communities, and colleagues. As a department, we are committed to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment that builds upon our values and invests in our employees and provides an inclusive culture through involvement and empowerment.