Protecting the future of the deer herd in Michigan through a baiting and feeding ban will hurt many farmers who've produced for feed and bait markets, but if CWD isn't dealt with aggressively, the long-term consequences would be at least as dire as TB, say state and Farm Bureau officials.
TB hindsight brings CWD action into focus
The response to finding one CWD-positive deer on a privately-owned cervid farm in northern Kent County just before Labor Day was predictable, at least in part because of what the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) learned from dealing with TB all these years. Both departments, for many years, have had a response plan in place should CWD pop up, and that plan included prohibition of feeding and baiting if the disease were found in Michigan or within 50 miles of the state border. Click here for full story.Should the Farm Produce Insurance Act fund be raised?
The logic of Michigan's Farm Produce Insurance Act (FPIA) became evident even before the law took effect. Farmers had just begun to pay 2 cents per $100 in net sales in 2005 when the fund created by the Act paid nearly $400,000 to farmers who lost money in February of 2004 due to the bankruptcy of MST Investments of Pinconning. Click here for full story.Farm labor housing project sees light of day after battle
In the shadow above a jagged edge of light dividing a hot August sun from a cool back porch stood politicians, bureaucrats and Steve Tennes, a young farmer who knows something about battles. Click here for full story.Water guide available now
Since the Great Lakes Compact was signed into law July 9, learning how the new water law will affect farmers has been keeping Michigan Farm Bureau busy getting the facts straight. Click here for full story.C.O.O.L. regulations: What they mean to you
On Sept. 30, new regulations will go into effect mandating Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) at retail for meat products and perishable agricultural commodities. Accurate country origin information has been a long-term policy goal for Farm Bureau, and it has supported efforts to bring the new requirements into effect. Click here for full story.Alpaca passion in full fashion
Sept. 27 and 28 are this year's National Alpaca Days, in which all seven of the St. Clair Alpaca Breeders farms will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as part of the St. Clair Alpaca Breeders' Free Fall Farm Tour. Click here for full story.