Joe Smith is the Produce Safety Specialist with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. His career in food safety began with the MDARD Food and Dairy Division in April 2018 after earning a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Lake Superior State University in 2017. Since 2018, Joe has held inspector roles with the food, dairy, and produce programs within MDARD. Joe’s favorite part of the job is meeting farmers throughout Michigan and learning more about farming every day. In his free time, Joe enjoys hunting deer and turkeys, fishing, and spending time with family and friends. Joe has also spent time on his friends’ dairy farms helping with various tasks from picking rocks to baling hay and straw.