Committee Member
Dr. Jason Rowntree
Dr. Jason Rowntree is currently the faculty coordinator for two research facilities at Michigan State University, The Lake City Research and Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Centers. His current research and outreach is focused on applying holistic management principles to agricultural settings. Specifically Dr. Rowntree has three primary areas of research and outreach interest: 1) improving energy efficiency at the farm level through properly managed grazing and integrated cropping systems; 2) understanding the impact of grazing systems on GHG flux and 3) development of pasture-based local beef production systems. He is currently developing a genetic beef cattle base using Red Angus across the two research facilities to provide grass finishing genetics to the upper Midwest. In the first two years they have marketed over 200 head of beef cattle into grass finishing markets. He also recently developed a local beef model on Michigan State University campus that sources 60% of the total needed beef from campus sources. Jason is active with intercollegiate livestock judging activities serving as a beef superintendent for the National Livestock Judging Contest. He has judged livestock shows nationally and in Canada for over 20 years. Jason and his wife Cara have three children. They have a small 10 ac farm that allows for his family to raise grass finished beef, pastured poultry and eggs for their friends and church family. As a family they homeschool, are active in the local 4H community and his three kids actively show swine and goats at state and regional shows.
