Strong partnerships between farmers and policymakers were on full display Feb. 24, as Michigan Farm Bureau presented its Silver Plow Award to Sen. Sam Singh and Rep. Luke Meerman at its Lansing Legislative Seminar.
The Silver Plow Award is one of the organization’s highest honors, recognizing legislators who go above and beyond to support Michigan agriculture — and according to Farm Bureau leaders, both recipients exemplify what it means to be true champions for farm families.
Sen. Singh: Protecting farmland, supporting producers
As Senate Majority Floor Leader, Singh played a critical role in moving important legislation across the finish line to protect PA 116 farmland preservation agreements and permanent conservation easements — ensuring impacted landowners could keep valuable tax credits and maintain long-standing conservation commitments.
“Senator Singh is one of the key leaders who helped move legislation from an idea to reality, and agriculture benefits directly from that leadership,” said Rebecca Park, MFB legislative counsel.
Ingham County Farm Bureau President Jeanine Igl said Singh’s ability to bring people together made a real difference.
“He was able to talk to people on both sides of the aisle and get them on board and say, ‘We need to help our farmers and we need to protect Michigan’s farmland — because if we don’t protect our farmland, we aren’t going to have anything to farm,’” Igl said. “We came to him with a problem, and he stepped up in a big way and came through for us, making sure we didn’t go into another year of farmers facing the loss of their PA 116 credits and the uncertainty that would have created for their operations.”
Singh also sponsored legislation that was successfully signed into law, creating parity for honey and maple syrup producers under Michigan’s cottage food law, helping small-scale producers grow their businesses.
“Senator Singh has been an ally for Michigan agriculture ever since he was in the House, and now in the Senate he continues to make time for farmers and the issues that matter to them,” Park added.
Rep. Meerman: Practical solutions for real-world challenges
A fifth-generation dairy farmer and longtime Ottawa County Farm Bureau member, Meerman was honored for addressing a long-standing frustration for many farmers: navigating environmental permitting.
Specifically, he helped secure direction for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to create agriculture-specific permitting guidebooks — giving farmers clearer expectations and timelines when applying for groundwater discharge permits.
“He saw a problem farmers were facing and was practical and pragmatic about getting a solution introduced,” said Josh Scramlin, MFB associate legislative counsel. “What started as a rough idea became a real, workable fix.”
“Major credit goes to Representative Meerman because he was the one who saw the problem and stayed engaged every step of the way to help get it across the finish line.”
Ottawa County Farm Bureau President Adam Dietrich said Meerman’s approach is rooted in relationships with farmers.
“He meets people where they’re at — on their farms — listens to their challenges and then does something about them,” Dietrich said. “He’s very active in the community and a well-respected name.”
Celebrating leaders who stand with agriculture
For Michigan Farm Bureau, recognizing leaders like Singh and Meerman is about more than a single policy win — it’s about celebrating relationships and a shared commitment to keeping the agriculture community and economy strong.
“It’s important that we recognize leaders who step forward and help move Farm Bureau policy through the legislative process,” said Rebecca Park. “Their leadership makes a real difference for Michigan farm families.”