Even as planting season and spring fieldwork approach their peak, Farm Bureau members across the state are stepping away from the farm to prepare for another critical responsibility — evaluating candidates for public office.
Members in District 7, including Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana and Osceola counties, recently participated in Candidate Evaluation Committee training, part of Michigan Farm Bureau’s grassroots political process that helps identify and recommend “Friends of Agriculture” ahead of the primary and general elections. The training outlined how county committees, working in coordination with Michigan Farm Bureau and its political action committee, AgriPac, review candidates and provide recommendations that guide endorsement decisions.
MFB government relations specialist Matt Kapp told members the stakes in 2026 are unusually high, pointing to the number of open seats. He noted that Michigan’s term limits, combined with historical election patterns, make it likely that winners of key statewide races — including governor, attorney general and secretary of state — could remain in office through the next decade.
“Whoever becomes governor, I expect them to be governor until 2034,” Kapp said. “That same thing applies to attorney general and secretary of state.”
He also pointed to the rare political landscape, including an open U.S. Senate seat alongside an open governor’s race — a combination not often seen in Michigan history.
“That does not happen a lot,” Kapp said, adding that voters will also weigh in on all 13 congressional districts, every seat in the Michigan House and Senate, and multiple statewide and judicial offices.
For Osceola County Farm Bureau leader Sandy Keller, the training reinforced just how important it is for farmers to stay engaged in the political process.
“I’ve never seen such a big movement of people that are interested in who’s running and who farmers should get behind,” Keller said. “Matt pulled this excitement out of me that I didn’t know I had and encouraged us to be more vigilant about who we’re voting for.”
One issue that especially resonated with Keller was the discussion surrounding the Michigan State University Board of Trustees, where Farm Bureau has long advocated for stronger agricultural representation.
“We actually have a farmer running for the MSU Board of Trustees, and we have an opportunity to fix something we haven’t been happy about for the last 16 years,” Kapp said during the training.
Keller said many voters don’t fully realize the importance of those races.
“I don’t think people really think about who’s on the MSU Board,” she said. “It was one of the most exciting things I heard — that one of our farmers was going to be running.”
Tools to evaluate candidates
Much of the training focused on the tools available to help county committees evaluate candidates, including candidate questionnaires, voting records for incumbents, and hosting face-to-face interview meetings.
Kapp said the questionnaire remains a foundational tool for understanding where candidates stand on agricultural issues.
“It’s a great way to assess candidates because they’re answering questions about agriculture and issues we care about,” he said.
Voting records, which track how incumbents have voted on Farm Bureau priority issues, provide another layer of insight.
“All of our tools are not perfect, though,” he said. “That’s why I want you to use all of them, not just one.”
Kapp emphasized that face-to-face interviews remain one of the most valuable evaluation tools.
“This is my favorite,” he said. “In a face-to-face interview, you can follow up if they don’t answer the question. You can see body language. You can tell how engaged they are.”
AgriPac’s role and member support
Kapp also outlined the role of AgriPac, Michigan Farm Bureau’s political action committee, which endorses candidates based on their support for agricultural issues regardless of party affiliation.
“Our goal is to represent agriculture by endorsing whoever is the best candidate for agriculture,” he said.
AgriPac is entirely member-funded, with 99% of its funding coming from the voluntary $5 contribution added to Farm Bureau membership renewals, making member support critical to the committee’s success.
“When people hear ‘PAC,’ they think big money influencing politics,” Kapp said. “I don’t think $5 contributions are big money. It’s really about pooling our resources together as members.”
He added that AgriPac’s endorsements for the 2026 primary election are expected to be announced in mid-June, following the completion of candidate interviews and county-level recommendations.
That timing, Kapp said, makes county Farm Bureau involvement even more critical in the weeks leading up to endorsement decisions.
“Your involvement in candidate evaluation and AgriPac can truly make a difference,” he said. “It can impact what our state government looks like for the next eight years.”
Interested in getting involved? Contact your county Farm Bureau to participate and help elect candidates who will work to give agriculture a voice in Lansing and Washington, D.C.
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