The Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development recently elected new officers for the 2017-18 year.

"I appreciate the enthusiasm and willingness of these individuals to serve Michigan’s growing food and agricultural community," says Jamie Clover Adams, director, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. "The members of the commission are partners in identifying and supporting economic development and educational opportunities for consumers, farmers and agri-food businesses.”

The new slate of officers includes:

• Chairman — Dru Montri owns and operates Ten Hens Farm in Bath. Montri is committed to regional food systems. She has been the director of the Michigan Farmers Market Association since its inception in 2006.

• Vice chairman — Bob Kennedy works for The Anderson's as area manager. He owns and lives on a small farm in Saginaw County with his wife and two children, and is an active hunter and fisherman.

• Secretary — Brian Pridgeon is the owner of Pridgeon Farms, a seventh-generation hog farm that markets 70,000 animals annually. He is the secretary of the Michigan Pork Producers board of directors and the young farmer chair and executive committee member of the Branch County Farm Bureau.

The Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development is a bipartisan board appointed by the governor with the responsibility to recommend and, in some cases, determine, policy on food, agriculture and rural development issues.

For more information on the commission, go online.

Source: MDARD