Chris Galbraith named new MSU Extension vegetable educator in southeast Michigan
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EmailThis jointly appointed position with Ohio State University will cover southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio.
It is my honor to join Michigan State University Extension as a vegetable Extension educator. My territory will cover southeast Michigan and I will be based out of the Monroe County Extension Office in Monroe, Michigan. This position is joint with Ohio State University, so I will also be serving vegetable producers in northwest Ohio.
I grew up on a family farm in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan that raised field crops, cattle and sheep. While earning an undergraduate degree in biology at Grand Valley State University, I completed a horticulture internship at the college’s Sustainable Agriculture Project. Through this program, I was trained in the principles and practices of small-scale, diversified vegetable production in field and high tunnel growing environments. After finishing my bachelor’s degree, I worked at a hydroponics greenhouse in west Michigan before deciding to pursue further education.
I recently completed my master’s degree in horticulture at Michigan State University (MSU) working with Sushila Chaudhari, an assistant professor and Extension specialist who provides statewide weed management support for specialty crops. My research focused on the efficacy of electrical weed control in carrot and green bean production as well as its impacts on weed seed germination and soil microbial communities, as part of an overall integrated weed management strategy. As well, I assisted with Chaudhari’s herbicide efficacy trials conducted at various vegetable farms and research stations throughout Michigan. Training at an agricultural college like MSU has given me an applied knowledge of vegetable production technologies and techniques regarding growing practices, integrated pest management (IPM), soil health and other aspects of crop protection/processing.
My objective as a vegetable Extension educator is to serve and empower vegetable growers in southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio to improve their production systems and overall well-being by providing useful, accessible educational resources and opportunities for knowledge exchange. Land-grant universities like Michigan State and Ohio State have extensive scientific/technical knowledge and connections that can be shared to benefit commercial vegetable producers for improved environmental, economic and prosocial outcomes. Extension programming and research can be developed to address the most relevant issues growers face and guide the industry towards innovative ideas and solutions.
If you have any questions related to vegetable production, please reach out to me at 734-240-3178 (Extension office), 989-745-1173 (cell phone) or by email at galbra53@msu.edu.
