MSU Extension Berrien County

Message from the Interim District Director

Thank you for another great year of partnership and community impact! We appreciate your support in helping MSU Extension serve the residents of Berrien County. Sincerely, Kai Gritter

Impact in Berrien County

• 5,146 participants from the county attended programs
• 399, 4-H Enrolled Youth
• 297 client consultations
• 96 answered Ask Extension questions
• Residents participated in 486 programs (across the state) and 157 programs (hosted in county)
• 220 MSU Extension volunteers
• 531 participants in county agriculture programs
• 124 county partnerships

Agriculture & Agribusiness

Hosting the Great Lakes Expo (GLEXPO) each year enables MSU Extension to address many challenges producers face by equipping stakeholders with the latest research, innovations and techniques. Farmer and grower livelihoods depend on maintaining productive and profitable operations and GLEXPO offers producers continuous learning so that farms can compete in an increasingly global market.

In December 2024, 89 participants from Berrien County attended GLEXPO in Grand Rapids. According to one attendee, it is "Great to have a mix of industry leaders and academic community insight as it provides a more robust and holistic perspective on emerging tech."

In 2024, MSU Extension strengthened emergency preparedness in Berrien County through two key efforts:

• Providing the Emergency Response to Accidents Involving Livestock (ERAIL) program which provides training to first responder agencies.
• Sharing appropriate response protocols for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) with the Berrien County Youth Fair Board and partnering with the Berrien County Health Department to create a response plan to protect both animal and human health.

Berrien County is home to the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (SWM-REC), a 350-acre site dedicated to growing and conducting variety evaluations of numerous fruits and vegetables.

In 2024, SWM-REC partnered with AgrAbility to provide accessible technology for a staff member to complete their duties (mowing, sorting vegetables, pruning plants) effectively. This shows how innovation, teamwork, and adaptive tools can expand career opportunities in agriculture for workers of all ability levels.

In 2024, SWM-REC hosted the Southwest Michigan Horticulture Days and Michigan Viticulture Field Day, bringing together hundreds of specialty crop and grape growers for education, innovation, networking and community building. The events featured sessions on fruit and vegetable production, marketing strategies and cutting-edge MSU research—sharing best practices, fresh insights, and meaningful local connections to drive sustainable growth.

Community, Food & Environment

In 2024, Berrien County was part of a four-county cohort of the Michigan Conservation Stewards Program (CSP) - an 8-week, hybrid educational program for adults who are enthusiastic about learning science-based ecosystem management principles and sharing this knowledge with others to help improve their local communities. The 19 Berrien County residents who completed the program learned essential strategies to understand and help restore and conserve ecosystems in Michigan communities, including the Sarett Nature Center, Berrien County Parks, Chikaming Open Lands, Fernwood Nature Center, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and many others.

MSU Extension and The Pokagon Fund hosted Building a Foundation to Attainable Housing in Three Oaks, bringing together 32 local leaders to explore Michigan’s housing challenges. Through expert insights and hands-on activities, participants gained tools and confidence to support local housing solutions. One participant shared, “Utilize the various resources provided for more valuable information. I was not aware of many of these resources.” Evaluation results showed 93% increased their knowledge, and 100% found the training valuable for their roles—demonstrating the power of collaboration and education in addressing critical community needs.

Each year the Michigan State University Product Center recognizes a client business for eliminating barriers to entrepreneurial success at the local, regional, or state level. The 2024 award went to Berrien County's Aiye Akhigbe. She is the owner of Sticky Spoons Jam, LLC which specializes in jams, jellies, and preserves made in small batches from local, Michigan fruit farms.
With guidance from the Product Center, this small business expanded from cottage food production to a licensed commercial kitchen. This move led to a fourfold increase in sales! Sticky Spoons’ growth highlights how expert support, strategic planning, and determination can transform an inspired homegrown idea into a thriving food business.

MSU Extension’s Product Center helps food and agriculture entrepreneurs grow their businesses with one-on-one support, offering guidance from idea to launch plus services like labeling, packaging, and nutrition analysis. For more, explore: https://www.canr.msu.edu/productcenter 

Health & Nutrition

The Senior Project Fresh program in Berrien County is aimed at helping older adults eat healthier as they age. The program provides participants free nutrition education and $25 in benefits that can be exchanged for fresh fruits, vegetables, and honey sold at local farmers markets and roadside stands.Community Nutrition Instructor Christian Haack spoke with a Project Fresh recipient who returned for a second year of Senior Project Fresh at the Niles Senior Center and was very excited to receive $25 in coupons
“She told me a story about how last year she took advantage of a sale (less than a dollar for a pint of blueberries) and loaded up her freezer to have a steady supply of fruit in her diet.” More than 2,000 Berrien County residents participated in 137 programs aimed at improving their health and nutrition in 2024.

MSU Extension collaborated with a diverse range of partners to deliver impactful nutrition and physical activity programs and resources across Berrien County. Programming was conducted at schools, senior centers, food pantries, child-care centers, farmers markets, and community organizations. These efforts strengthened community partnerships, increased access to fresh foods, and demonstrated meaningful impact across youth, adult, and senior audiences.

• 2,020 Berrien County residents participated in 137 MSU Extension's health and nutrition programs in 2024!

In 2024, Happy Trails Daycare LLC, partnered with MSU Extension's Growing Healthy Eaters Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) program. Through this initiative, the childcare center received fresh, nutritious local produce from a produce box provider, which was incorporated into meals. This well-received program supported healthier eating habits for the children in their care.
"I just want to say thank you so much for partnering me with Flatwater Farms LLC. Not only was the produce beautiful but the people were so nice to work with! I can’t wait to share these with the children next week"

Berrien County staff attended numerous community fairs, events and coalition meetings, promoting health programs and sharing resources e.g., Michigan Vaccine Project (MVP) materials. For more about MSU Extension's food and health programs and resources, explore https://www.canr.msu.edu/food_health