Michigan Administrative Code Department - Agriculture and Rural Development
Here’s an overview of the Michigan Administrative Code relating to the Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD):
🏛️ MDARD Overview
The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) is the state agency responsible for enforcing agricultural, food safety, animal and plant health, environmental stewardship, and rural development laws in Michigan (michigan.gov). Its administrative rules are codified in the Michigan Administrative Code, organized by MDARD division.
📘 Administrative Code Structure by Division
Animal Industry Division
Regulates practices such as:
Importation of dogs (Reg 112, R 285.112.1)
Dog kennels (Reg 129)
Livestock auctions (Reg 144)
Humane slaughter (Reg 146)
Pet shops, dog pounds, animal shelters (Reg 151)
Riding stables/sales barns (Reg 154)
Disposal of dead animal bodies (R 287.651–.657)
Animal industry standards (R 287.701–.713) (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)
Environmental Stewardship Division
Covers matters like:
Agricultural labor camps (Reg R 325.3601–.3699) (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us, law.cornell.edu)
Food & Dairy (Human Food) Division
Encompasses food product standards and labeling, including:
Honey (Reg 505)
Cucumbers for pickling (Reg 537)
Unclassified potatoes (Reg 552)
Food establishment certifications and smoked fish regulations, among others (regulations.justia.com, ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)
Pesticide & Plant Pest Management Division
Addresses plant and pesticide regulation, such as:
Dry edible beans (Reg 523)
Cherry pests (600), raspberry, blueberry, strawberry inspection (Reg 601, 606, 609)
Quarantine and certification (Reg 620, 623, 627–629)
Pesticide applicators, fertilizer and pesticide storage guidelines (Reg 633–642)
Seed law implementation (Reg 715) (law.cornell.edu, ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us, ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)
Executive Division
Includes agricultural funding and racing/fair aid programs:
Julian‑Stille Value‑Added Agricultural Fund (Reg 351)
Grants for fairs, breeders’ awards, horse race funding, and racing testing protocols (Regs 805–823) (regulations.justia.com)
🔎 How to Access the Rules
The official MDARD site lists high-level law links and provides PDF/HTML access to rule sets (michigan.gov).
Third-party sites such as Cornell’s Legal Information Institute and Justia offer readable versions of the rules, though they may not be fully current .
MDARD updates its rules quarterly, with each rule dated with its effective history (michigan.gov).
✅ Summary
MDARD rules are categorized into divisions: Animal Industry, Food & Dairy, Pesticide & Plant Pest Management, Environmental Stewardship, and Executive.
Each has a dedicated set of regulations (R‑numbers) covering topics from pet shop standards to pesticide storage.
To view the actual rule text, you can download PDFs or access HTML versions via MDARD’s Administrative Code site.
Be sure to verify you're viewing the latest effective date, since the database refreshes when rules change (regulations.justia.com, law.cornell.edu, ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us, michigan.gov).
💡 Need Help With Something Specific?
Want to view a particular regulation (e.g., pet shop standards or pesticide applicator rules)?
Need guidance on how to search or interpret a specific MDARD rule?
RELATED Blog
0 comments