Branch County farmer Glenn Preston and his brother, Keith, were recently ordered to pay $58,000 split between two neighbors as the result of a year-and-a-half-long legal battle. The neighbors alleged that odor from the family's four, 1,000-head-each hog barns impacted their way of life.
Farmer calls for right-to-farm law change
Branch County farm family was recently dealt a blow in the form of a judgement against them in a civil lawsuit. Glenn and Keith Preston, dairy and hog farmers in Algansee Township near Quincy, were ordered to pay $58,000 split between two neighbors who alleged the odor from the brothers' new hog facility is a nuisance. Click here for full story.No appeal in Stoneman case
Plaintiffs in the landmark lawsuit that challenged the Michigan Right-to-Farm Act lost their case in March and now have dropped their appeal, too. Click here for full story.Farm Bureau leaders bring aid proposal to the Hill
Michigan Farm Bureau President Jack Laurie and a host of other state Farm Bureau presidents from across the nation gathered on Capitol Hill, July 13, seeking support for the $9 billion AgRecovery Action Plan. Click here for full story.Details of Environmental Protection Agency actions
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Aug. 2 that agreements had been made with the manufacturers of two organophosphates to reduce risks of the compounds. Click here for full story.Multi-state farmland preservation tour set for Sept. 9-13
In response to overwhelming interest for another look at successful farmland preservation techniques and smart land-user programs, the Michigan Farmland and Community Alliance (MFCA) is cooperating with Michigan Farm Bureau and the Rural Development Council of Michigan to sponsor an Ultimate Farmland Preservation Tour, set for Sept. 9-13. Click here for full story.Regulatory fairness act introduced in Senate
A bipartisan group of senators have introduced a bill to "ensure that the Environmental Protection Agency uses sound science and real-world data when evaluating pesticides" instead of the "guesses" and "estimates" the agency is now using. Click here for full story.Michigan Farm Bureau says EPA's pesticide restrictions ignore sound science and are politically motivated
American Farm Bureau Federation, the national affiliate of Michigan Farm Bureau, is charging that the action by the Environmental Protection Agency to cancel and restrict usage of two pesticides used on a vast array of fruits and vegetables was motivated by "political pandering instead of scientific findings." Click here for full story.Greenhouse and nursery growers want fair access to Canadian market
Unfair trade of agricultural products with Canada has left many Michigan farmers holding the stick - and they want that to change. Nearly 40 nursery, greenhouse, Christmas tree and sod producers gathered at the Monroe County fairgrounds, July 24, to air their concerns to a panel of federal and state officials. Michigan Farm Bureau and U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Dearborn) hosted the meeting. Click here for full story.Trade Commission ready to impose duties on Chinese apple juice concentrate
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) agreed with what Michigan apple producers have been saying for months - China is illegally dumping (selling below cost) apple juice concentrate into the United States. Click here for full story.USDA grants Michigan zone status for bovine tuberculosis
Michigan cattle producers outside the bovine tuberculosis-quarantined area of northeast Lower Michigan will, for the most part, have the freedom to move cattle across state lines without having a TB test. Click here for full story.Medical students get training on the farm
Farm safety is a top priority for anyone involved in agriculture production. In an effort to prepare future doctors for what can happen when accidents do occur, 14 medical students from the Michigan State University School of Medicine toured Bob Kraft's Frankenmuth farm, July 14. Kraft took the students through the farm, introducing them to different machinery and the hazards of using farm equipment. Click here for full story.Environmental Working Group releases alarmist report
True to its legacy of alarmist reports, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and its leader Ken Cook recently issued a report, "Into the Mouths of Babes," that attempts to discredit the safety of the herbicide atrazine, while raising unfounded fears among Midwestern families. Click here for full story.Dairy farmers credit success to MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology
Growing up on his family's dairy farm in Allegan County, Randy Petroshus' interest in the dairy industry began at a young age. Click here for full story.Will business-led environmental initiatives grow in agriculture?
Consider the following two real-world cases: an agribusiness, E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company, Inc (DuPont) and an Oregon family farm, Stahlbush Island Farms. Click here for full story.Farm Bureau presses to end estate taxes
Because the cost of paying federal estate taxes often leads to the break-up and demise of American family farms, Farm Bureau reiterated its support for a congressional effort to eliminate the punitive and counterproductive tax. "Farming is an industry dominated by family businesses," said American Farm Bureau Federation President Dean Kleckner. "Most of a farmer's assets are usually tied up in their land, buildings and equipment. And when parents die, sons and daughters are faced with huge tax bills - and the government expects to be paid in cash. To pay the government, bits and pieces of their farms have to be sold, destroying the family farm business." Click here for full story.Gerber won't accept genetically modified corn, soys
The parent company of Gerber recently announced the baby food manufacturer will no longer purchase genetically engineered corn or soybeans for use in its products. The announcement follows a request by the environmental group Greenpeace for information about genetically modified organisms in baby food. Click here for full story.Farmers must keep workers, children safe
A monthly resource for the Community Action Groups of Michigan Farm Bureau Click here for full story.Farm families need immediate help to survive economic storm - is Congress listening?
The stock market is booming, and millions of Americans are financially healthy. One critical sector of this red-hot economy, however, has been left out in the cold - America's farmers. Click here for full story.White mold in soybeans
Sclerotinia white mold has been a problem in soybeans in southeastern Michigan for the past several years. Fortunately in 1997 and 1998, it came in too late to cause substantial yield losses. However, this pathogen is also hosted in potatoes, tomatoes, canola, dry beans and many other crops. Click here for full story.Legislators, media to hear from producers at Focus on the Farm Crisis meetings
Farmers are invited to attend one of four "Focus on the Farm Crisis" meetings held in the state, Aug. 23 and Sept. 2. The events, hosted by Michigan Farm Bureau, will give producers a chance to speak out on farm economy issues before federal legislators return to session from their summer breaks. Click here for full story.Loan deficiency payments a good alternative for crops not under loan
Farmers can cash in on loan deficiency payments to help them through this year's low commodity prices. LDPs were used by many farmers last year, but previously had not been used much since the mid-'80s when prices were severely low then. Click here for full story.Michigan producers travel to D.C. to garner increased support for FQPA corrective legislation
Nothing rings truer or louder to a congressman than the voice of a constituent in their office. Click here for full story.Michigan farmers can list hay for sale on web page
Michigan farmers with a bumper crop of hay may have an opportunity to market their excess bales out of state to livestock growers suffering from drought conditions. A web site allows farmers to list their hay or haylage for sale. Click here for full story.