AgBioResearch Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center

Michael de Schaaf, with more than three decades of agricultural experience, serves as farm manager at the MSU Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center. 

As farm manager, de Schaaf is tasked with day-to-day oversight of research projects, including those with fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops, as well as outreach through MSU Extension. He also partners with the center coordinator and staff to determine budgets, oversee maintenance of buildings and equipment, and develop and maintain relationships with growers and industries throughout the region.

For almost 30 years, de Schaaf has held an array of roles in the wine industry, including as winemaker and distiller at Round Barn Winery, Distillery and Brewery; as owner and developer for Hickory Creek Winery; and as a grape producer at Meadowbrook Farms, his family’s fourth-generation farm in Benton Harbor. He is also a past president of the Michigan Grape Society.

As an educator in the viticulture and oenology (study of winemaking) arenas, de Schaaf was an instructor at Lake Michigan College for multiple years. Most recently, he has served as owner of Lake Michigan Shore Wine Growers, a custom vineyard management company.