Ex-President Donald Trump sided with big meatpacking companies over local, family-owned farms. But under President Joe Biden, federal policies are changing.
RURAL POLITICS
State grants help Michigan counties preserve agricultural land—and protect farmers’ jobs
About $2 million in state grant funding awarded last month is set to help local counties and townships preserve more than 670 acres of farmland in Michigan.
Report calls for stricter regulations on animal feeding operations to protect water quality
The Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) is calling for stricter regulations on large animal feeding operations in Michigan.
State funding to boost farmers—and build Pontiac’s first new grocery store in a decade
A state grant awarded to a nonprofit organization in Pontiac will help launch the first new grocery store to open in the city in about the last 10 years.
Whitmer administration deploys federal funds to protect clean water in rural Michigan
Federal funding will help improve wastewater treatment systems and replace drinking water mains in several rural Michigan communities.
6 ways Whitmer’s state budget plan invests in rural Michigan
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s latest budget plan could boost funding for rural communities—including new programs to support farmers.
Report: 5 big problems facing rural Michiganders—and how to solve them
A recent report from the state Office of Rural Prosperity identifies the biggest challenges facing rural Michiganders this year.
Michigan lawmakers urge feds to end tax credits for ‘inhumane’ factory farms
Several lawmakers think tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act should support local farmers—not industrial, pollution-causing mega-farms.
Rural Michigan students need more mental health support at school, study finds
A recent report offers some unsettling insights into staffing issues facing Michigan schools—particularly those in rural communities.
Poop pollution case reaches Michigan Supreme Court
State regulators want to crack down on pollution at livestock farms to protect water, but farmers think regulators are overstepping their authority.