When speaking concerning the roots of agriculture, Dave Milligan has labored onerous not solely at rising proficiency and profitability, but additionally constructing agriculture advocacy in lots of areas.
“Milligan Farms below Dave’s management has continued to adapt to newer know-how and has carried out it into administration,” says Phil Kaatz, senior subject crops educator for Michigan State College. “What separates Dave from different farmers is his capability to maintain a pointy focus whereas being adaptable by means of modifications in markets, climate or agronomic techniques. He does all this as he provides his time main organizations on the native, state and nationwide stage.”
Jody Pollok Newsom, govt director of the Michigan Wheat Program, agrees. “Dave is an lively and integral participant in discussions on prioritizing analysis initiatives for funding, specializing in the leading edge,” she says.
Newsom, with assist from the MWP board and a number of other different letters of assist, efficiently nominated Dave Milligan as a 2023 Michigan Grasp Farmer.
Dave and his son, Michael, have expanded the farm to 4,500 acres in Cass Metropolis, rising corn, wheat, soybeans and dry edible beans.
“He’s very a lot within the forefront of ag tech whereas additionally integrating his information of farm coverage and seeing the larger image to assist all farmers,” says Carl Bednarski, president of Michigan Farm Bureau.
Dave grew up on a 240-acre dairy and crop farm — a mixture of his paternal and maternal grandparents’ farms. As a child, summers, after faculty and weekends have been spent farming along with his dad. “As I received older, I grew to become extra of a helper than a hinderance,” Dave says with a smirk.
Grain focus
The farm was ultimately transitioned to focus solely on grain. “I’d reasonably work on retaining equipment operating than retaining cows wholesome,” Dave provides.
The farm was regularly expanded to 560 acres as Dave went by means of highschool.
By FFA, 4-H, Michigan State College Extension and different studying experiences, Dave tailored fertilizers to suit the farm, in addition to different inputs and hybrids.
“And, I used to be just about liable for equipment and mechanical work,” he provides.
In 1973, he purchased his first 80-acre farm to the west of the house operation. A number of different farm purchases adopted, together with the dairy farm and home he and his future bride would later name residence.
Now farming in a 4-mile radius, he says it has its benefits of comfort, but additionally disadvantages when there’s a yr of maximum climate.
Through the years, drain tile was added, in addition to a grain drying and storage system.
Dave’s discovered some classes by means of the years, together with the true worth of being well timed with planting and spraying and never being afraid to place the lengthy hours in when the time is true.
Soil well being is also a precedence as he seeds clover in when spraying wheat to get a canopy crop. “It’s about soil well being, sustainability and our local weather,” he provides. “We have to hold the bottom lined to maintain one thing in that cycle and the microbes working.”
The farm is grid-sampled and variable-rate fertilizer is utilized. They purchased a brand new planter to sow 20-inch rows in dry beans and soybeans. “We generally have white mildew points, so the place the crop may develop too lush or thick, we decrease the inhabitants and, the place it’s sparse, we improve it,” Dave says. “My son, Mike, places all of it into the pc to direct the planter.”
Dave was launched to spouse, Kris, within the spring of 1989, and so they have been married that fall. Michael was born three years later, and their daughter, Elisabeth, three years after that. Elisabeth graduated from medical faculty at MSU and is now in her residency.
After highschool, Mike had the identical curiosity in farming as his father, and after 4 years of school, he was inspired to work off the farm for just a few years so he might convey again new concepts.
Within the summers throughout school, he labored for a fertilizer firm, then customized combining within the Plains states and a progressive farming operation out of Wisconsin. He got here again to the farm after graduating from Purdue with a bachelor’s diploma in farm administration.
As Milligan Farms grew, part-time employees have been added, and the operation now has a number of full-time staff.
“I used to be given recommendation by an worker that it’s robust to have two bosses,” Dave says. “So, about that point I used to be getting concerned with the management of ag organizations, Mike took on the day-to-day administration choices — when to plant, mix and spray, shopping for seed, inputs and all the pieces else.”
Mike can be renting and shopping for farmland on his personal.
Ag advocacy
Certainly one of Dave’s first involvements within the ag neighborhood was becoming a member of Michigan Farm Bureau and its Group Motion Group. He has served on the Tuscola County Farm Bureau Board, Michigan Farm Bureau State Coverage Improvement Committee, and the American Farm Bureau Federation Wheat Committee.
“Dave has been an lively Farm Bureau member for a number of years and a real asset on the native, state and nationwide stage,” Bednarski says.
He went on to serve on the Michigan Bean Fee as each vice chairman and chairman. He additionally represented the state as a member of the American Dry Bean Board, ultimately serving as president for a two-year time period.
“It was there his management actually shinned as two nationwide organizations have been melded collectively into what is named the U.S. Dry Bean Council,” says Joe Cramer, MBC govt director. “Dave and his son, Mike, do a wonderful job using sustainable manufacturing practices and cropping techniques to guarantee their land will efficiently stay of their household nicely into the subsequent era.”
An try to create a wheat checkoff within the state failed in 2000. However in 2008-09 when growers had a falling numbers challenge with wheat, the hassle was rejuvenated.
The checkoff referendum went to a statewide vote, handed, and the Michigan Wheat Program was shaped. Dave was elected the primary MWP chairman and served 9 years. In these early years, “the board put in a whole lot of work to get it going and it was very profitable,” Dave says. “We wanted to get extra bushels per acre of high quality wheat, so we closely centered on analysis, together with partnering with Michigan State College to fund a wheat breeder, Dr. Eric Olson, and later a devoted specialist, Dennis Pennington, for wheat analysis and administration.”
Later, MWP joined the 20-state Nationwide Affiliation of Wheat Growers. There, Dave began within the officer ranks as secretary and labored his method as much as nationwide president. He now serves as previous president.
“Previous to the wheat checkoff program passing, wheat analysis at MSU was minimal,” Pennington says. “Over the previous 10 years, practically 150 analysis initiatives at MSU have been funded, totaling practically $3.5 million spent in assist of wheat analysis. Dave has at all times been a visionary chief for agriculture.”
As president of the Nationwide Affiliation of Wheat Growers, Dave shared his information and experience at a number of congressional hearings and conferences with legislators. He labored with the Nationwide Wheat Enchancment Committee to assist safe a further $10 million within the farm invoice to fund new analysis on fusarium head blight, essentially the most economically devastating illness in U.S. wheat.
Speaking about his satisfaction in being a farmer, Dave says too many individuals take their meals with no consideration.
“Most businesspeople say, why would you make investments all that cash for what you do? We’re not actual worthwhile doing it once you take a look at return on funding. However I feel there’s one thing to be stated about working onerous, making an sincere dwelling and proficiently offering high-quality meals, feed and fiber for the world.”
Dave Milligan at a look
Farm: Milligan Farms, 4,500 acres of corn, soybeans, dry beans and wheat.
Nominator: Michigan Wheat Program board
Ag and neighborhood management: Cass Metropolis FFA president, Elkland Township supervisor, 12 years; Cass Metropolis Space Ambulance Board, 12 years; Tuscola County commissioner, 4 years; Tuscola County Planning Fee, eight years; Rotary Membership of Cass Metropolis, 40-plus years (many places of work); Tuscola County Farm Bureau board, eight years; Michigan Bean Fee, six years, together with two years as chairman; American Dry Bean board, six years, together with two years as chairman; Michigan Farm Bureau State Coverage Committee, two years; American Farm Bureau Wheat Committee, two years; Nationwide Affiliation of Wheat Growers Board, 10 years serving as secretary, treasurer, vice chairman, president and present previous president.
Awards: FFA State Farmer, Cass Metropolis Citizen of the 12 months 2013, Honorary Chapter FFA Diploma 2018, Rotary Paul Harris main donor.
