The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program
The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program, or MAEAP, is a comprehensive, voluntary, proactive program designed to reduce farmers' legal and environmental risks through a three-phase process. The program teaches farmers how to identify and prevent environmental risks and comply with state and federal environmental regulations. Farmers who successfully complete the educational, assessment, and inspection phases of the MAEAP process are system verified.
A farm can be verified in three systems which include Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping. The Farmstead system addresses environmental risks of the entire farmstead, from safe handling of fuels to proper storage of fertilizers and pesticides. It focuses primarily on protecting surface and groundwater.
The Cropping system addresses environmental risks related to nutrient and pest management, water use, and soil conservation. Recordkeeping of fertilizer and pesticide applications, manure applications, and irrigation of fields is a key component of a cropping verification.
Livestock verifications currently involve the implementation of a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan. This plans looks at all farm practices dealing with the moving of nutrients from the farm to field, storage operations, and emergency planning for the farm.
MAEAP was developed by a coalition of farmers, commodity groups, state and federal agencies, and conservation and environmental groups to provide a venue for farmers to become better educated about management options in order to help protect and enhance the quality of our natural resources. It is not a government or regulatory program, but rather a partnership effort unified for the protection of natural resources and advancement of positive community and neighbor relations.
All MAEAP verified farms are ensured Right to Farm protection under the Michigan Department of Agriculture if they continue to follow Generally Acceptable Agricultural Management Practices, or GAAMPs highlighted in each of the assessments.