FRANKENMUTH, Mich. — Michigan hosted a 2018 farm bill field hearing earlier this month; it was the second this year, the first taking place on Feb. 23 in Kansas.

The hearing featured a number of speakers, including Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), Ranking Member Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and others, such as Michigan farmers who wanted to share their experiences and perspectives. “We know that we’re showcasing the breadth and diversity of Michigan in this process,” Stabenow said. “Everyone who’s here today understands the importance of the farm bill to Michigan.” She noted many people in the state are crossing their fingers due to recent weather events that could negatively impact Michigan fruit growers.

Also on hand for the May 6 event, held in Frankenmuth, was Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Jamie Clover Adams. She described farmers as the foundation of the state’s $101.2 billion food and agriculture sector, an important economic engine for rural Michigan.

In a statement following the event, Clover Adams said Michigan food and agriculture exports have a total annual impact of $11 billion on the economy and support 26,000 jobs across the state.

In 2016, 83 Michigan companies used farm bill Market Access Program cost-share funds to increase exports by more than $99 million, with a projected increase in export sales of another $63 million in the near future. “Food and agriculture exports are also critical because they bolster prices for everyone in the category even if they are not exporting,” Clover Adams said.

She was glad to have Roberts visit the state, since she enjoyed serving previously as the Kansas Secretary of Agriculture and said 2017 is “especially poignant” given the devastating wildfires that have hit western Kansas, which “forever linked the farmers and ranchers of our states.”

“I’m glad he had an opportunity to see and hear from the people who inspired supply convoys from across Michigan to aid ranchers in western Kansas,” she said. “From the devastation, the nation saw the true character of Michigan’s rural people.”

Also speaking at the hearing was fifth-generation farmer David Williams from Elsie, Mich. He said conservation and biobased programs are essential to advancing farmer sustainability goals and establishing new markets, and should be reauthorized and funded as the committee moves ahead in its work on the coming farm bill.

He singled out the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for special mention. These in particular help farmers adopt better conservation practices within their operations, he explained.

“I signed my first CSP contract, and adopted a new practice of seeding cover crops using a combination of oilseed radishes, oats and peas,” Williams noted. “Recently I seeded cereal rye, and I have seen firsthand that cover crops prevent soil erosion and improve water quality by reducing drainage rates.

“The cost-sharing provided under EQIP helped us build a chemical and fertilizer containment facility, which assisted in our compliance with Michigan state water quality regulations. This is a good example of how leveraging private investment with farm bill dollars leads to improved water quality for everyone.”

Also speaking at the event was the dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University, Ronald Hendrick. Among other comments, he said the university is committed to working on issues of food insufficiency in Michigan and beyond.

He noted that in addition to more than 13 million children in the country lacking access to enough food, a large and growing number of children are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

The hearing was held at MSU’s Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center.