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!
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.
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Upcoming Events
Make your plan to join the 2025 Winter Conference & Trade Show, January 7-8, 2025
MABA reminds our members and Michigan agriculture partners to sign up for the MABA Winter Conference and Trade Show, January 7-8, 2025 at the Lansing Center.Go here to learn more and register!Registered attendees, be sure to secure your hotel room by December 16!
The hotel room block will close December 16 and cannot be extended! MABA has secured a room block at The DoubleTree by Hilton Lansing. Go to this page to book your room, or use Promotional Code “M-A-B” when you call for a discounted rate. Please be sure to book your hotel room!December webinar sessions provide additional opportunities to build credits: Eight additional hours of RUP* credit opportunities and 8.5 CEUs will be available on December 17-18, 2024 for all those registered for the Winter Conference by that time.Contact our MABA staff with questions. We look forward to seeing you in January!
November 22, 2024 — The 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.
“2024 has been an outstanding year for the Michigan Agri-Business Association Educational Trust, as the business community once again banded together to support the future leaders of Michigan agriculture,” said MABA Educational Trust Chair Ward Forquer. “Michigan agribusinesses are invested in the future success of our industry, and this critical program is one way they continue to step up. We congratulate these scholarship recipients and wish them the best success in the future.”
From 2020-2024 alone, the MABA Educational Trust has awarded more than 125 scholarships to deserving young people pursuing higher education.
Those awarded scholarships for Spring 2025 include:
Students are eligible to receive up to 4 scholarships from the MABA Educational Trust during their educational career. The next application deadline for the 2025 fall semester is June 1, 2025. Go here for more information on the MABA Educational Trust Scholarship Program and encourage students you know going into the agribusiness industry, to apply.
LANSING, Mich. – A letter sent to members of the Michigan Legislature today from more than 15 statewide farming and agribusiness organizations calls for action to address the negative consequences of impending Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) changes for family farms and rural employers.
“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.
The letter and signers can be viewed online here.
With no further action from the Legislature, an array of changes to the ESTA take effect on February 25, 2025. These changes will greatly reduce employers’ options for offering paid leave to employees, creating a “one size fits all” approach. It contains no exemptions for even the smallest employers; no flexibility for seasonal and temporary workers often employed part-time at rural businesses; and no recognition of the unique factors, such as animal care and crop movement logistics, that impact agricultural businesses.
“Rural businesses compete intensely to attract, hire and retain workers through existing competitive benefits and compensation packages, and upcoming ESTA changes will hamstring those efforts,” said Chuck Lippstreu, President of the Michigan Agri-Business Association. “Michigan’s rural employers echo the calls coming from every corner of our state’s economy for legislators to make common-sense changes to this policy before it takes effect.”
“Michigan farms are proud to lead the way in delivering jobs and economic opportunity in rural communities across Michigan, and we are deeply concerned this new policy will harm both employers and employees,” said Rob Anderson, Manager of State Government Relations for the Michigan Farm Bureau. “Common-sense action by the Michigan Legislature will ensure that when these changes go into effect next year, rural employers and employees retain appropriate flexibility, strong compensation packages and the ability to keep growing the rural economy.”
The letter echoes calls from other sectors for common-sense legislative action that restores certainty and a workable framework for businesses, prior to the ESTA changes entering into effect. The farming and rural business groups asked that the Michigan Legislature make the following changes:
The agricultural organizations noted their letter adds to calls from many other sectors of Michigan’s economy for legislators to act on this important issue, as it will impact businesses in virtually every corner of our state.
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