With Michigan U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow not seeking reelection, the Michigan Farm Bureau recently hosted a recorded forum to help evaluate candidates vying for the open Senate seat.

A recording of the forum between former Republican congressman Mike Rogers and Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., is available, where they give their perspectives on agricultural issues and their plans to advocate on behalf of the state’s farm families.

Candidates responded to nine questions on critical issues including the farm bill, workforce reform, trade, government regulation, infrastructure, taxation and more.

Watch comments from Rogers here, and Slotkin here. 

“The purpose of this interview forum is to aid our county Farm Bureau candidate evaluation committees, so they're well informed before making recommendations to our political action committee, AgriPac,” says Mike Fusilier, AgriPac chair and Washtenaw County farmer.

If AgriPac makes an endorsement in the race, the announcement will come in mid-September, ahead of the Nov. 5 general election. At the same time, the organization will also review county recommendations for U.S. president, Michigan Supreme Court and state-level school boards.

USDA extends deadline for pilot project

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service extended the application deadline for its Water Source Initiative pilot project. The pilot offers financial assistance to urban farmers for practices to collect and conserve water. Michigan urban farmers who wish to be considered for the current fiscal year funding now have until Aug. 30 to submit an application. 

The NRCS Water Source Initiative improves urban farmers' access to water through the implementation of conservation practices, focusing on water access and irrigation efficiency. The initiative will offer water management practices such as:

Water harvesting catchment. Systems are designed to collect and store rainwater for agricultural use.

Irrigation pipeline. Infrastructure is designed to efficiently deliver water to crops, reducing water waste and enhancing productivity.

Pumping plant. Equipment ensures the reliable distribution of water from storage or natural sources to irrigation systems.

In addition to these key practices, additional conservation practices may be available to participating farmers. Some of these practices include seasonal high tunnels equipped with water collection systems, cover crops and conservation crop rotations.

Counties eligible for the 2024 Water Source Initiative include Genesee, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne.

To learn more, visit usda.gov.

Above-average apple crop expected

An above-average estimate of 30.5 million bushels of apples is anticipated, according to information released at the recent USApple Outlook meeting in Chicago.

“It is unusual to have three large crops in a row,” says Diane Smith, executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee. “However, as growers continue to plant high-density orchards and adopt other innovative growing practices, Michigan’s apple crop sizes will increase, and we will continue to see these larger crops.”

According to USDA, Michigan harvested 31.9 million bushels of apples in 2023. The average annual crop size is about 25.9 million bushels. There are more than 14.9 million apple trees in commercial production, covering 34,500 acres on 775 family-run farms in Michigan.

Warmer-than-normal temperatures in late winter and early spring caused buds to form early, leading to earlier bloom in May. Growers were fortunate this year to not experience significant frost and freeze events after that early bloom, leaving a plentiful crop to be harvested about 10 days earlier than usual.

Many factors contribute to the size of an apple crop, including weather, bloom conditions and tree health. To make the estimate, growers and other industry experts report on what they are seeing in various regions of the state, then come to a consensus on the crop size estimate.

Michigan apples are available nearly year-round from August to June. The largest and most valuable fruit crop in the state can be found at about 150 farm markets and cider mills in Michigan, as well as more than 12,000 retail groceries across the U.S., Smith says.

Apply now for Dairy Business Builder grants

The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance is accepting Michigan applications for its Dairy Business Builder Grants. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development joined the federal DBIA program in September 2022.

This grant aims to encourage small- to medium-sized dairy farmers, entrepreneurs and processors in the Midwest to pursue projects such as dairy farm diversification, on-farm processing, value-added product creation and efforts to market dairy products for export.

Reimbursement grants of up to $100,000 each will be awarded to different dairy businesses after a competitive review process.

During previous rounds of funding, 37 businesses were awarded a total of $3.3 million. Two Michigan companies were among those awarded, including Mossy Creek Farm in Kalkaska and Michigan Cream & Sugar Ice Cream Co. in Bay City. Previous award recipients can be found here.

Applications for the grant will be accepted until Oct. 23. Award announcements will be made in mid-December.

For more information on grant opportunities and DBIA, visit its website.

MMPA appoints new chief financial officer

Aaron Anticic is the new chief financial officer for Michigan Milk Producers Association. In his new role, Anticic will be responsible for managing and overseeing all financial activities of MMPA, ensuring the organization’s long-term financial stability and supporting its strategic vision.

Anticic brings a wealth of experience to MMPA, having spent more than 13 years at Mastronardi Produce, one of the largest produce companies in the world. Starting his tenure at Mastronardi as a financial analyst, Anticic advanced to the vice president of finance, most recently leading the finance team at the Mastronardi BerryWorld Americas joint venture.

During his tenure with Mastronardi Produce, Anticic built and led various accounting and finance teams, which played a central role in the development of strategy and in managerial decision-making throughout the organization.

Anticic holds an MBA with distinction from the Richard Ivey School of Business in London, Ontario, Canada. He lives in the Detroit area with his wife and children. In addition to his role with MMPA, Anticic has been appointed as an officer of the MMPA board of directors.