Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

The state released a list of recommendations to ensure pet health over Labor Day and beyond.

The state hopes the program will create more jobs in rural communities and shed a light on the importance of bringing food supply chains close to home.

Michigan is requiring more biosecurity measures on farms because of an outbreak of bird flu in dairy herds.

Ionia County's Herbruck Poultry Ranch laying off 400 employees in response to the spread of avian flu.

Experts say tick season is hitting early this year due to a mild spring. They're urging people to take precautions now against the potentially disease-spreading insects.

Michigan's commercial poultry and dairy operations are being asked to beef up their biosecurity measures on their farms following a recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Commercial poultry and dairy operations must implement a series of health safety measures by May 8 to help try and slow the outbreak of bird flu. According to the USDA, over 6.6 million birds were affected by the virus during the month of April in Michigan.

Michigan is now the latest state in the Midwest and Great Plains to confirm an outbreak of bird flu in dairy cattle. Federal officials say the risk to human health remains low.

The director of the state's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said the $1 million budget cut to Michigan's 75 conservation districts is due to the loss of surplus funding from COVID-era relief programs.

Strangles cases confirmed in Tuscola County