Michigan

According to numbers released by NASS, total sweet cherry production nationwide for 2020 is forecast at 334,000 tons, down 6% from 2019. In Washington and Oregon, severe cold snaps in February and mid-March had varying impacts across the region ...

Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow is leading a group of Democrats in releasing a report on the impact of COVID-19 in rural America. The report was put together by the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, which Stabenow chairs ...

NASS will once again have follow-up work to do on the 2019 harvest. NASS will be contacting survey respondents in Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, who had previously reported unharvested corn and/or soybean acres. If the newly collected data make any changes necessary, NASS will update the January 10th estimates in the May 12th Crop Production Report ...

COVID-19 is both a health and economic crisis for everyone in the country. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, Act, better known as the CARES Act approved by Congress last week will provide roughly $23.5 billion in relief for farmers and ranchers ...

Organic agriculture continues to grow nationwide. "California, as you would expect, is still the big, big state," said Catherine Greene with USDA's Economic Research Service. "That's where we grow most of our conventional fruits and vegetables and that's where we grow most of our organic fruits and vegetables ...

Last week, senators John Thune of South Dakota and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan introduced the Cover Crop Flexibility Act of 2020. The legislation would permanently remove the prohibition on harvesting or grazing cover crops on prevented plant acres before November 1st ...

Senators Gary Peters of Michigan and Richard Burr of North Carolina are working on bipartisan legislation to give the U.S Commerce Department a greater ability to defend smaller segments of agriculture.  According to Politico the bill would give Commerce greater authority to “self-Initiate investigations” to help those less influential sectors combat potential trade manipulation. Peters s... Read

When it comes to the national winter wheat pictures, the USDA is emergence is now at 87%, which is improved from last year's 85% at this time, but off the five-year average of 90%.  USDA Meteorologist, Brad Rippey, said there are some concerns nationwide.  ...

A new law says the 15 million egg-laying hens in Michigan’s poultry flocks will have to lay their eggs in cage-free housing systems before 2025. Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist signed the legislation last week as Governor Gretchen Whitmer is on a trade trip to Israel. The ...

According to NASS, sweet cherry production is forecast at 362,000 tons this season, a 13% year over year increase.  Weather this spring across Washington and Oregon have been optimal for the crop.  Meanwhile, in California, growers reported sufficient chill and precipitation leading to a good crop.  NASS is...