On Friday, April 25, over four dozen farmers, and 15 legislators, their staff, and representatives from community organizations met at Robinette’s Apple Haus for our annual Kent County Farm Bureau Legislative Breakfast. We gathered to talk about what farmers are experiencing as they grow and process the food, fiber, fuel, and floriculture we rely on them for—and about how elected officials can be a solution instead of a roadblock.
This year, we were pleased to have the new Michigan Farm Bureau President Ben LaCross with us. He spoke to how important it was that farmers took the time away from their operations to meet with legislators—especially on such a beautiful morning:
As a fruit cropper, myself, I walked out in the sweet cherry orchard here, and I’m looking at sweet cherries in bloom—I know what that means. It’s time to go to work. So for you all to come out here and to do this is really, really fantastic. Take this opportunity to engage with your legislators, tell them what you need on your farms to be successful and how they can help you all.
The Legislative Breakfast isn’t just a question-and-answer session. It’s also a chance for our members to sit at table with legislators and community leaders, eat together, and share their concerns. Not everyone will speak in front of a crowd, so this is an important part of our event.
Labor Issues
County President Bruce Klamer reminded all present of what farmers are seeking: “We want to do the best work we can with the land we have—and we want that land to be productive for years to come. We are the stewards of the land.” He then started the conversation with a biggie: H2A labor costs.
Congressman Hillary Scholten spoke to what was happening (and not happening) on that front with the federal government:
We hear from so many of you that the cost of labor is a top issue. I’ve been working on this issue with [Cong. John Moolenaar] and some of our other colleagues across the state since my first days in Congress. Coming and visiting you on your farms and hearing from you about what you wanted to do has propelled this action. We started with a letter, asking the federal government to freeze the adverse wage rate at current levels. And then we introduced a bill to get this signed into law. In the 118th [Congress] it didn’t go anywhere. We reintroduced for the 119th, we’re signed on again, and it’s currently just sitting and waiting. We are fortunate to have bi-partisan support on this initiative in the Senate. Our Senator Elissa Slotkin is supportive…so that bodes incredibly well. We will continue pushing to get this across the finish line. We are in Washington dealing with a lot of emerging issues, sometimes it feels like crisis after crisis, so trying to get these issues to rise to the top is a number one priority. The best thing that you can do is continue to elevate this as an issue of top importance to your representatives…. Remind them that this is something we want them to elevate to the White House, to the House leadership, so that Republicans can put this on the floor so we can vote on it and get it across the finish line.
She also highlighted a new program they are working on to act as more than a band-aid to labor issues: a blue card program that would allow people to earn a pathway to lawful permanent residency.
Regulatory Burdens
Both farmers and legislators talked about the frustrations of dealing with regulatory agencies like EGLE (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) when they consistently use worst-case-scenario thinking and look to expand and enhance rules rather than apply them reasonably, so that it is easier for businesses to thrive in Michigan. Rep. Luke Meerman spoke passionately about EGLE rules throwing up roadblocks that are making it almost impossible for a family in his district to pass their farm to the next generation. Sen. Rick Outman echoed farmer concerns about changing legal standards with animal processing and said, “What we should do is get out of the way.” Sen. Mark Huizenga called it “a culture of expanding and enhancing rules.” Rep. Bryan Posthumus said, “The biggest problem facing agriculture is encroachment of government—not legislature, but the promulgating of rules at the departmental level, the unchecked authority of departments.”
Farm Bureau member Jeff Wheeler summed up the farmers’ plea:
Farming isn’t just an industry. It’s our families, our identities, our way of life. So [those expanding rules] feel like an attack on our family. How are you going to help us? We’re stretched so thin that we don’t have the margins to take anyone to court. We need you. You have our votes. Help us.
Sen. Winnie Brinks said, “We hear a lot about the bureaucracy, we see it and feel it, too. Departments are notoriously difficult to navigate, which is why we have staff to help people do that.” Her chief of staff Kate Kooyman continued that message: “We are available. We are there to help. We all have enough things to worry about that we can’t control, but we should do better with what we can control. We will do what we can to influence the bureaucracy so it doesn’t get in your way.”
How You Change Things
Our District 4 representative on the MFB Board of Directors, Jeff Sandborn, encouraged the farmers to stay engaged in the process:
“This is how you change things: tell your story. In legislator offices, but also in the public policy process. Be part of the grassroots policy process and come up with solutions we can take to the legislature.”
The takeaway from this portion of the Legislative Breakfast is: be the squeaky wheel. Keep reaching out to your elected officials, keep asking their staff for help, keep meeting with other farmers to magnify your voices.
Continue the story of the 2025 Kent County Farm Bureau Legislative Breakfast here: https://www.michfb.com/about/news-media/high-stakes-and-hope-kent-county-farmers