Vegetable growers from across Michigan visit MSU to explore the latest research

Saltanat Mambetova<mambetov@msu.edu>, Ben Werling<werlingb@msu.edu>, Ben Phillips<benp@msu.edu> and Chris Galbraith<galbra53@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - March 24, 2026

The Veg on the Go event united Michigan vegetable growers at Michigan State University, strengthening relationships and translating research into practical farm solutions.

A group of people in a classroom stand and pose for a picture. — Growers join the MSU Extension director and Extension educators to kick off the Veg on the Go event. Photo by Ron Bates, MSU Extension.

The Veg on the Go event in February brought together 19 vegetable growers from first generation to multi-generation farms across Michigan for a full day of learning and exploration on the Michigan State University (MSU) campus. Participants spent the day touring research facilities, meeting faculty and graduate students, and getting an inside look at the vegetable research that supports their farming operations.

The day began with a welcome from the Michigan State University Extension Director Quentin Tyler, PhD, and director of MSU Extension agriculture and agribusiness programming, Ron Bates, PhD. Growers introduced themselves, shared where they farm and talked about the main crops they grow. Four MSU Extension vegetable educators then divided participants into small groups to begin an in-depth tour of campus research sites.

Morning: Deep dive into vegetable research

The morning portion included seven research stops, each offering hands-on demonstrations and conversations with faculty, graduate students and technicians. Stops included:

Mary Hausbeck’s pathology lab
Zsofia Szendrei’s entomology lab
The vegetable horticulture teaching lab with Dan Brainard, Josh Miranda and Zach Hayden
Eric Runkle’s controlled environment lab
Roberto Lopez’s greenhouse research
New plant science greenhouse facilities
MSU Plant and Pest Diagnostics lab

Each location prepared interactive showcases that allowed growers to see current research projects up close from pest and disease diagnostics to greenhouse management and vegetable research in different areas. Growers commented on how much there was to see, learn and take back to their own farms.

Two women in a laboratory setting examine plant samples on a workbench. One woman in a pink jacket holds open petri dishes while looking down at leafy greens on the table, while another woman in a striped sweater stands nearby observing. — Mary Hausbeck’s lab is showing fungicide sensitivity test results on petri dishes. Photo by Chelsea Dickens, MSU Extension.

Lunch on campus

Midday, the group visited Shaw cafeteria to experience a true campus dining hall. This offered a chance to relax, connect with each other and talk about what they had learned so far.

Afternoon: Engineering, technology and food processing

In the afternoon, growers toured several labs within the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, including:

Yuzhen Lu’s robotics and automation lab
Younsuk Dong’s irrigation lab
Ehsan Ghane’s drainage lab
Daniel Uyeh’s computer-assisted farming lab

These stops highlighted engineering innovations, irrigation research, sensing technologies and other tools that support modern vegetable production. The day concluded with a visit to the food processing lab with Jeff Swada, PhD, where participants learned about research and outreach efforts in food science and human nutrition, including product development and food safety technologies.

Two men stand outdoors discussing a display board about water management and saturated buffer systems. One man gestures while speaking, and the other listens attentively. The display shows diagrams of a field with drainage and buffer flow components, and equipment with an outlet pipe is visible nearby. — Ehsan Ghane is explaining controlled drainage and water management. Photo by Chelsea Dickens, MSU Extension.

A group of people stands in a lab or processing facility while a man gestures and explains something to them. Others listen attentively, including a woman in a blue jacket and several men in casual workwear. Industrial equipment and pipes are visible in the background. — Growers asking questions during a visit to the food processing lab. Photo by Chelsea Dickens, MSU Extension.

A large group of people stands outdoors in front of industrial buildings for a group photo. The group includes men and women in casual and work attire, some holding papers, with sunlight casting long shadows across the pavement. — Group photo with growers and educators before wrapping up the day. Photo by Chelsea Dickens, MSU Extension.

This opportunity was paid for by MSU AgBioResearch, MSU Extension, and Crop Protection and Pest Management Program (grant no 2024-70006-43569) from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).