By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) has launched a website to help farmers find new markets for commodities that were intended for deer feed; the Michigan Feed Exchange went online last week at www.michfb.com/feed

The Web-based system is intended to assist growers in finding alternative markets for carrots, sugar beets and other commodities that would have been sold for deer feed. A ban on baiting deer took effect Aug. 26 in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula after a captive deer in Kent County was found to have infectious chronic wasting disease (see related article).

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources imposed the ban because congregating deer at bait sites increases the chances of spreading the disease. MFB Commodity Specialist Ken Nye said the Exchange is one way the state’s largest farm organization is working to help save this sector of the agriculture industry.

“We’re attempting to protect one part of this industry from the ban,” he said. “The people who are getting the short end of the stick have nothing to do with creating the problem, but they are the ones losing revenue. Our efforts at this point are focused on trying to find some alternative markets to help these people who have commodities now that have no home.”

The Exchange operates as an online clearinghouse where potential sellers and buyers can list and exchange information for free, with the intention of finding mutually beneficial partnerships, such as a cattle producer willing to buy carrots from a vegetable grower to feed cattle rather than deer.

The Exchange is not involved in setting prices, negotiating transactions or making arrangements for shipping. The online service simply provides a framework to connect sellers and buyers, similar to the Hay Exchange with which many Michigan farmers are familiar. The electronic database is searchable by location and commodity.

Crops intended to be sold as deer bait and feed were being harvested or were near harvest when the feeding and baiting ban was imposed. Finding alternative markets for these crops can be challenging.

In the case of sugar beets, for instance, Michigan Sugar Co. has already contracted with growers and is at capacity for its yearly production. Apples, carrots and other vegetables sold for deer bait and feed can have bruises or other flaws that make them unsuitable for the fresh and processed fruit and vegetable markets.
“The Michigan Farm Bureau clearly recognizes the immediate marketing challenges that face farmers who produced crops for the 2008 deer hunting season. The Michigan Feed Exchange won’t resolve the challenges entirely, but it’s one viable solution,” Nye said.

“We’ve been consulting with commodity organizations and agricultural partners like Michigan State University, and we’re optimistic the Michigan Feed Exchange can help growers uncover some alternative markets.”

The most promising alternative is cattle feed. According to a nutritional analysis performed by MSU extension specialists, root crops such as carrots and sugar beets can be successfully fed to cattle to complement traditional feed such as corn silage, hay and corn grain.

“These available commodities may be an excellent opportunity for cow-calf producers to supplement rations, especially during a year when hay shortages exist in some areas of the state and feed costs are high,” said Ernie Birchmeier, MFB livestock and dairy specialist.

Individuals who are interested in using the Exchange but lack Internet access should call Andrena Reid at 800-292-2680, ext. 2022, between the hours of 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.