Michigan Agri-Business Association President Chuck Lippstreu recently joined Michigan Chamber of Commerce CEO Jim Holcomb and Michigan Farm Bureau President Carl Bednarski for a wide-ranging conversation about Michigan’s agriculture sector. Recorded in late 2023, the Michigan Matters Podcast episode was posted March 1, in concert with the beginning of Food and Agriculture Month in Michigan. You can listen here. Here are a few key points and comments from Lippstreu during the episode. This is an automatic transcript lightly edited by MABA. On the Michigan Agri-Business Association organization and membership:“We’re a nonprofit trade association based right here in Lansing. We’ve got around 300 members spanning Michigan and the entire region. The way to think about our members is, these are businesses of all sizes that support Michigan farmers and help ensure the agricultural value chain functions. So they’re working every day across our state to make sure farmers have access to the things they need to be successful, and then once they produce a crop, that it’s able to make its way around the state, around the country, around the world…It’s a big tent organization because farmers need support from all sorts of different folks to be successful out there.” What is one thing that you would really think that people would be surprised to know about agriculture?“I wish every Michigander could see inside a modern piece of farm equipment or go visit a local ag retail location and see some of the insights and imagery that they’re able to generate for their farmer customers. I think for anybody coming in cold to agriculture, today’s technology in use is not just surprising, but shocking, and it’s a great success story for the industry and we can always do more to tell that story.” On economic growth led by agribusinesses:“Agribusinesses are investing back in our state in really big ways and in ways that benefit people in small towns and big cities alike. [For example] Michigan Sugar Company, a Michigan-based cooperative, they have a major investment ongoing right now in Bay City, their molasses desugarization facility. They’ve invested $100 million plus in that facility that’s going to bring economic benefits back to the community, but also farmers throughout mid-Michigan and the Thumb, the sugarbeet growing region, something very unique to Michigan…And over on the west side of Michigan, King Milling Company in Lowell, which has laid out more than $40 million in investment to put in a new flour mill there that again supports Michigan farmers. It supports Michigan’s position in the supply chain and it’s good news for West Michigan and our entire state. Those are just a couple of good examples.” On jobs and job training in Michigan agriculture:“When you look at the jobs that are out there in agriculture, whether they’re on the farm or somewhere else in the supply chain, these are advanced, interesting, technology-forward types of jobs and they’re jobs where you can make a great living. In terms of the next generation, we’ve got some great examples here in Michigan of local school districts that are stepping up to try to meet the need. I just was learning about some districts, especially up through the Thumb, where if you are a high school student in a vocational program, you could potentially graduate with a CDL at a time when we’re facing a 100,000 truck driver shortage in America. That’s a good example. We need that in the agricultural industry.” What are you sharing with the Michigan Legislature?“When this legislature came in, one of our top messages was that Michigan, by and large is a pro-agriculture state…We have the tools we need to succeed. Let’s keep a good thing going, and let’s be very cautious about putting new roadblocks in place for growth in our industry. As we mentioned, [agriculture is] the second largest job creator in our state and exports products to six continents, that’s a success story. We can continue to grow, but we also, again, have to be careful about standing in the way of that progress.” Listen to the Michigan Matters Podcast at this link. MABA appreciates the Michigan Chamber of Commerce for hosting this discussion. # # #
