MSU Extension

Thomas Wenzel is the farm manager at the Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center.

He oversees the daily operations of SVREC, supporting research for scientists from MSU, the U.S Department of Agriculture and industry. He also oversees support staff, manages budgets, and is involved with capital improvement projects, land assignment, crop rotation, tilling, planting and harvesting. He assists with educational programming, community outreach and fundraising, and works closely with commodity groups and Extension educators associated with SVREC.

Wenzel previously served for 15 years as an MSU Extension research technician, partnering with Michigan’s sugarbeet growers through the Sugarbeet Advancement program, which aims to improve grower production and profitability through on-farm research.

Prior to starting his MSU Extension career and serving as sugarbeet research technician, Wenzel owned a lawn sprinkler and landscaping business. He began his career in mechanical engineering, working as a product engineer and brake designer at Delphi Automotive, soon after graduating from Western Michigan University.