It has been, and continues to be an interesting time for our Michigan Agri-Business Association team! Mid-fall was marked by election leadup, the November election and post-election activities. We continue working hard to prepare for the winter meeting season and the 2025 MABA Winter Conference & Trade Show. Meanwhile, in Lansing, the Michigan Legislature is back during the Lame Duck session through the end of the year. And we continue to help members navigate unique, key issues that will impact the industry in 2025. Here are some updates from October and November 2024 at MABA: November 5 General Election Results In November, MABA posted a Q/A discussion on the results of the 2024 election.Please feel free to contact Chuck of the MABA staff with questions about the election. You can view this Q/A online. 2024 Membership Directories mailed Earlier this fall, updated 2024 MABA membership directories were mailed to members. If you did not receive a directory, contact the MABA staff! MABA leads statewide letter to Michigan Legislature on Earned Sick Time ActMABA in November led a coalition of more than 15 statewide agricultural organizations calling for common-sense changes to Earned Sick Time Act policies that are currently scheduled to go into effect in February. “It is important to understand that rural, Main Street businesses and Michigan farms will be among the many other sectors of Michigan’s economy harmed if the Legislature allows these changes to enter into force as written,” the groups wrote to Legislative leaders. More information is available here. Educational Trust awards Spring 2025 scholarshipsThe Michigan Agri-Business Association (MABA) Educational Trust announced it will award scholarships to 20 Michigan students planning to enter the agriculture industry. These scholarships offered through the Educational Trust totaled more than $25,000 for the Spring 2025 collegiate semester. From 2020-2024 alone, the MABA Educational Trust has awarded more than 125 scholarships to deserving young people pursuing higher education. Go here to learn more about the scholarship awardees for spring. MABA hosts Ag Club breakfasts alongside Consumers Energy, Michigan State University; planning for 2025 We appreciate the hosts of our Ag Club Breakfast events in October and November! On October 9, we were joined by leaders of Consumers Energy. Greg Salisbury, VP of Electric Distribution Engineering, provided an update from the company. And on November 6, we were joined by leaders of MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, MSU Extension and MSU AgBioResearch for an update from the university. This week, we conclude the Ag Club Breakfast series with an update from Farmers for Soil Health, a partnership of Michigan Corn, Michigan Pork and the Michigan Soybean Association. We appreciate all those who supported Ag Club Breakfast events this year! We are soliciting Ag Club Breakfast hosts for the following 2025 dates! April 16 May 21 October 8 November 5 December 3 To sign up, contact Kara or Chuck of the MABA staff. MABA Leadership Group joins second program session in Lansing The MABA Leadership Group for the 2024-25 class held its second session in Lansing on November 5-6, 2024. During the two-day session, Leadership Program members visited the Michigan Capitol, met with state government leaders from MDARD; leaders of MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; state affairs leaders from partner organizations and many others. They also learned about how MABA delivers value for our members during election season and working in the Michigan Legislature. We appreciate all those who joined us for meetings this week. This year’s group members include Nate Greeley with Zeeland Farm Services, Inc. (ZFS); Joseph Bolle with Quality Roasting; Gary Fritz with Cooperative Elevator Co.; Matthew Naeyaert with GreenStone Farm Credit Services; Scott Krout with CF Industries; and Rex Thayer with Nutrien Ag Solutions Michigan. Rex Thayer with Nutrien Ag Solutions speaks with MDARD Director, Dr. Tim Boring, during the second session of the MABA Leadership Program in Lansing. Be thinking about who from your organization could be a future participant in the MABA Leadership Program! Applications for the 2025-26 class will open this month and be accepted until March 2025. Chobani hosts tour of Muskegon La Colombe Production Facility In late October, MABA President Chuck Lippstreu joined Chobani leaders, elected officials and economic development experts for a tour of the company’s revamped Muskegon La Colombe production facility, and a roundtable discussion on food security hosted by Chobani. Since acquiring the plant in 2023 Chobani has invested more than $30 million into upgrades to it. U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten and State Representative Greg VanWoerkom played a key role in the discussion on reducing hunger, and helped spotlight the leadership of community and faith organizations to meet this challenge. In The News Proposed tariffs could mean higher prices for Michigan buyers (WILX) Upcoming Events Now is the time to register for the 2025 MABA Winter Conference! Early Registration and hotel room block deadlines are December 16. Save money and ensure you are able to get a hotel room by getting signed up! Visit http://maba.swoogo.com/2025winterconference for more.
