MDARD begins hemp sampling under new state plan 01/20/2021 | 05:22pm EDT Send by mail : Message : Program contact: Gina Alessandri, 517-284-5637 Media contact: Jennifer Holton, 517-284-5724 LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) recently completed its first industrial hemp sampling under the state's new Hemp Production Plan marking an exciting milestone for MDARD's hemp program. Last week, MDARD's Pesticide and Plant Pest Management inspectors conducted their first sampling of hemp under the state's federally approved hemp program at a greenhouse in Kalamazoo MI. 'We recognize the importance of an efficient and effective sample collection program,' said Gina Alessandri, MDARD's Industrial Hemp Program Director. 'Our experience in Kalamazoo will facilitate improvement of standard operating procedures for sample collection that will best meet the needs of the hemp industry in 2021.'