GRAND RAPIDS — Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) member commitment and involvement lead to major wins for the state’s agricultural industry in 2025, according to MFB President Ben LaCross, a Leelanau County fruit producer.
Delivering his first annual address as the organization’s 17th president to nearly 800 Farm Bureau members attending the organization’s 106th annual meeting in Grand Rapids, LaCross commended the strength in numbers of active grassroots member engagement leading to major legislative wins.
“What is most impressive is that you continued to face the challenges of 2025 with great courage,” LaCross said.
“You were not deterred by low commodity prices, high input costs, or overburdensome regulations. Instead, you remained true to our mission and committed to our vision of strengthening Michigan Agriculture.”
LaCross said overwhelming member responses to an organizational action alert regarding the state budget this past fall resulted in more than 1,700 messages to state lawmakers to preserve critical farm programs.
“We also successfully passed legislation to reauthorize MAEAP (Michigan Agricultural Environmental Assurance Program) through 2029, without any increased cost, fees, or changes in the program,” LaCross added, calling it a “huge win for our farmers.”
Persistent member engagement to secure reforms to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate calculations for H-2A seasonal guestworkers also provided results in 2025, according to LaCross, that will reduce labor costs by 24% for Michigan producers in 2026.
“These accomplishments are possible because of our unified efforts over consecutive days, months, and years. We must never take for granted our farmer member strength,” LaCross said.
He also noted that County Farm Bureaus continue to lead by example in addressing local issues, that ultimately benefit all of Michigan agriculture, pointing to Kalamazoo County Farm Bureau’s innovative ‘Doe Derby” event and MFB’s social mission to end childhood hunger in Michigan.
“We’ve got a big problem with our deer herd. To be blunt, there are too many damn deer,” LaCross said. “Kalamazoo held the first-ever Doe Derby, harvesting 71 deer, and contributed over 2,700 pounds of meat to a local food pantry.”
Commending the success of the event, LaCross said Kalamazoo and seven additional County Farm Bureaus across Michigan are holding Doe Derby events again this upcoming winter.
“Talk about a win-win scenario — farmers reduce the deer herd, and local families get nutritious venison,” he said. “These are the efforts that turn challenges into opportunities, where local leaders are solving local problems.”
Member engagement also delivered in the regulatory arena, LaCross said, acknowledging Tom and Dianne Cook’s family dairy farm in Clinton County, which hosted a tour for Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Director Phil Roos this past July.
“It was the first time Director Roos had ever been on a farm as director of EGLE,” LaCross said, noting the farm tour has led to increased communication and collaboration with EGLE
“Is everything resolved from our perspective? No, not even close,” LaCross noted. “We continue to challenge overburdensome regulations. But the efforts by the Cook Family Dairy will create a better awareness within EGLE of agriculture’s concerns.”
Revised purpose, mission and vision
LaCross used the occasion to introduce the organization’s updated purpose, mission and vision statements, driven by member input from a series of 12 district-level listening sessions conducted across the state in 2025.
“This year, your board of directors began a strategic planning process to guide the organization into the future, while honoring our grassroots legacy,” LaCross said.
That process culminated in August, when the MFB board approved a new organizational shared purpose, a clear mission, and a prosperous vision for Michigan agriculture, including:
- Purpose: Strengthen Michigan Agriculture.
- Mission: Promote and protect our members’ interests.
- Vision: Where every farmer finds community, a voice in advocacy, and the support they need to grow ,thrive, and prosper.
“Our vision for Michigan Farm Bureau sprouts from the words you used at your district listening sessions,” LaCross told members. “I want you to know that the work that began with your County Farm Bureaus made its way to the boardroom and will be aligned with our purpose, vision, and mission and will drive us forward.”
Ag representation in the political arena
Key to fulfilling that new vision, said LaCross, are farmers willing to run for elected office, noting several farmer members, including Sens. Ed McBroom, Kevin Daly, Dan Lauwers, Roger Victory, and the countless other Farm Bureau members who have served or are currently serving in the legislature, will be termed out of office next year.
“With all those farmers being termed out of office, who will carry the water for Michigan agriculture in the legislature? For our mission, purpose, and vision to be successful, we need farmers willing to step up and run for office,” Lacross said.
Beyond running for elected office, LaCross reminded members that the organization provides ample opportunity for involvement through candidate evaluation and recommendations for MFB’s AgriPac “Friend of Agriculture” endorsement.
“By this time next year, we will have elected a new governor, secretary of state, attorney general, a new U.S. Senator, at least 17 state senators, and dozens of state representatives,” LaCross said.
“Each and every one of them should know you as local agricultural leaders; they should know how influential Farm Bureau is; and they should seek out your guidance on farm-related issues,” he added.
“My hope, my vision, is when we gather here next December, we’re welcoming a new crop of elected officials who want to support our mission, purpose, and vision as much as we all do. “
To see LaCross’s entire President’s address, see the video below.
