With spring upon us, or at least trying to arrive, MABA continued our advocacy and education efforts throughout April. We also brought together the Michigan CCA Board together for its first 2023 meeting and launched a series of “CCA Spotlight” profiles. We are looking ahead to events throughout the summer and into late 2023, and we hope you’ll take a moment to review some of these here! As always, we appreciate the partnership of our members and Michigan agriculture colleagues! Michigan CCA Board meets; Spotlight profiles JJ Metz Michigan is home to more than 300 Certified Crop Advisors, and MABA works in partnership with the American Society of Agronomy to administer the CCA program in Michigan. This month, the Michigan CCA Board welcomed several new members and held its first meeting for 2023. Members of the board include Tim Schaub, Rob-See-Co (Chair); Jeff Martus, Star of the West Milling Co. (Past Chair); Keith Leighton, CHS; Mike Philip, MDARD; Al Pung, Brevant; Lucas Costanza, Nutrien Ag Solutions; Clay Martz, Nutrien Ag Solutions; and Kurt Thelen, MSU. Additionally, we profiled JJ Metz, a Michigan CCA! Go here to read more. Advocacy on rail issues In addition to continuing our overall engagement with members of the Michigan Legislature, MABA led an industry letter opposing a bill that cap the length of freight trains moving in Michigan. The letter, signed by 10 agricultural organizations, discusses the serious supply chain issues that would be created by a cap on freight train lengths. MABA director named to key state advisory panel MABA Board member Greg Thon with Harvey’s Commodities was named this month to serve on Michigan’s Agricultural Preservation Fund Board of Directors. Greg will join the board on a seat designated for agricultural interests; the board was created to manage the distribution of grants to preserve farmland. Partnering with Consumers Energy for April Ag Club Breakfast We welcomed more than 100 farm and agribusiness leaders, executive branch officials and legislators to hear an update on clean energy and solar development from David Hicks, vice president of renewables development and enterprise project management at Consumers. We appreciate Consumers Energy for hosting this special event! Harvest Solar, MABA, U.S. Department of Agriculture discuss on-site solar energy We appreciated the opportunity to participate in a discussion in Hamilton focused on the use of solar energy by farms and businesses. A substantial number of MABA member businesses and Michigan farmers have pursued solar energy generation specific to their business. These projects can often be cost-shared via the federal Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which has been well-funded by Congress recently. Here’s more. MABA President Chuck Lippstreu during a presentation on solar energy and its relationship with agriculture. U.S. House staff member joins MABA for mid-Michigan ag tour Bennett Abrams, agriculture legislative assistant for Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, joined MABA and several of our members on a tour in April to learn more about the Michigan industry. Abrams handles agricultural policy issues for U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin, who was named this Congress to serve on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. He visited the Michigan Agricultural Commodities, Inc. location in Middleton and the Michigan Milk Producers Association processing plant in Ovid. Abrams also met with DF Seeds president Janna Fritz and visited the mid-Michigan farm of David Williams, who also serves on the Ag Commission. It was a great day, and we appreciate all involved! Bennett Abrams (center) joined Grace and Kara from the MABA team this week on a mid-Michigan agriculture tour. Also pictured are Sheila Burkhardt, left, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for MMPA and Cliff Merritt, Ovid Plant Manager for MMPA. ICYMI: Save the Dates for a Wide Range of Events in 2023 Soil Testing: An Important Step to Maximize ROI, Support Environmental Stewardship MABA Supports Pick for MDARD Director View Highlights of the Michigan Bean Industry’s Efforts on New Opportunities to Promote Michigan Dry Beans
