Michigan State University — the nation’s first land grant school — could be forced to scrap its agricultural research projects, its county Extension services and its College of Agriculture and Natural Resources if funding reductions made in the state’s interim budget are adopted in the 2010 budget due to be completed this week.

The University has launched an online outreach effort and is urging people to prevent the “decimation” of agriculture and related programs:

The Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) and Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) are inextricably linked components of MSU’s research and outreach missions that provide tremendous benefits to all Michigan residents.

Agriculture is the one bright spot in the Michigan economy, contributing $71.3 billion annually with the potential to grow because of bio-energy and related bio-industry growth. Michigan is well positioned to be a leader in the bio-economy. Michigan will be a loser in the race to establish a green economy with loss of MAES, and MSUE and CANR. Michigan’s critical agri-foods sector growth will be stopped in its tracks.

MAES and MSUE are providing the research for the green economy that is creating new jobs for Michigan. If we eliminate funding for MAES/MSUE we destroy our ability to build the one economic sector we currently have an advantage in. If we gut the research and outreach engine for the green economy, there is little left for Michigan’s economy to build on.