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Agriculture at Owosso Public Schools in Michigan is getting a boost. The district will receive $100,000 in state funding to expand hands-on agricultural education, with the money earmarked for a new livestock facility at Owosso High School.<\/p>\n
The grant comes through Michigan\u2019s rural development fund. It will give students in the Shiawassee County district more direct experience with animal science and farming, and district leaders said the facility will support career and technical education classes, strengthen career readiness, and deepen students\u2019 connection to the local food system, according to news station WNEM TV5.<\/a><\/p>\n The award is part of more than $1.6 million in rural development fund grants announced statewide. It marks the first joint recommendations following\u00a0Gov. Gretchen Whitmer\u2019s Executive Order 2025-9<\/a>, which transferred the Rural Development Fund Board from MDARD to LEO. The executive order also reinforces continued collaboration between the two departments to advance shared strategies that support rural prosperity across the state.<\/p>\n \u201cRural communities across Michigan are navigating complex, fast-moving change with limited resources, but we\u2019ve seen that targeted investments can unlock real results,\u201d said Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director Susan Corbin. \u201cPrograms like the Rural Development Fund are about more than individual projects, they are about strengthening the capacity of communities to plan, collaborate and lead with confidence. In partnership with MDARD and local leaders, we are making strategic investments that support infrastructure and industry today while helping communities build the foundation to grow and thrive in the long-term.\u201d<\/p>\n