The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) is an innovative, proactive program that helps farms of all sizes and all commodities voluntarily prevent or minimize agricultural pllution risks. MAEAP’s mission is to develop and implement a proactive environmental assurance program ensuring that Michigan farmers are engaging in cost-effective pollution prevention practices and working to comply with state and federal environemntal regulations.

This comprehensive, voluntary, proactive program  is designed to reduce farmer’s legal and environmental risks through a three-phase process:
1) education; 2) farm-specific risk assessment; and 3) on-farm verification that ensures the farmer has implemented environmentally sound practices. The program’s three systems – Farmstead, Cropping and Livestock – each examine different aspects of the farm. Cropping system assessments can include a specialized focus on greenhouses, nurseries, orchards, and others. After becoming MAEAP verified, a farm can display a MAEAP sign signifying that MAEAP partners recognize the farm is environmentally assured.

With confidentiality guaranteed by law, MAEAP provides a structure under which Michigan farmers can be assured they are effectively following all current Right to Farm Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs) and are working to comply with state and federal environmental laws specific to each system of the program.

Luke Simpson & family and MAEAP technician, Sadie Guernsey, with Simpson’s new MAEAP sign after being verified in three systems

Meet your MAEAP Technician!

Sadie Guernsey is the conservation districts MAEAP technician serving Barry and Ionia Counties.

Sadie graduated from Baker College of Owosso with an A.S. in Agriculture Technology with an emphasis in Animal Science.  She grew up in Ionia and still resides there.  In her youth, she was heavily involved in her 4H club where she showed hogs at the Ionia Free Fair.  She was also president of the Saranac FFA chapter for 3 years, and took the Plant and Animal Science course through Heartlands at Ionia High school.  Throughout Junior High, High School and College, Sadie worked on two different dairy farms where she tended to calves and milked cows.

Sadie has a strong passion for agriculture and is eager to work with local agricultural producers, of any size!  If you are interested in becoming MAEAP verified or would just like to gather more information about the program, feel free to contact Sadie:

Sadie can be reached at 616.527.2098 ext. 3088 or by email at sadie.guernsey@mi.nacdnet.net  or visit the MAEAP Website at:  http://www.maeap.org/

Local MAEAP Farms

For a map of all the MAEAP verified farms in Ionia and Barry Counties, and to learn more about the products offered by local MAEAP verified farms, click on the map icon to the right.