Department Celebrating 100th Anniversary

Liz Gullett

Jul 02, 2021

On July 1, 1921, the Michigan Department of Agriculture was created by a public act. Now known as the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, it was created to promote the agricultural interests of the state. Michigan’s food and agriculture industry has a $104.7 billion overall impact on the state’s economy annually and employs 17.2% of the state’s workforce. “As it did at its formation, the department continues to cultivate and expand new economic opportunities for the food and agricultural sector, safeguard the public’s food supply, inspect and enforce sound animal health practices, control and eradicate plant pests and diseases threatening Michigan’s food and agriculture system, preserve the environment by which the farming community makes their living and feeds consumers, and protect consumers by enforcing laws relating to weights and measures,” said Gary McDowell, director of the department.

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