Senate Bill 1015 would amend the current Land Bank Fast Track Act, specifically sections 2 and 4. The Land Bank Fast Track Act presently allows state and local governments "to assemble or dispose of public property...to promote economic growth". Senate Bill 1015 would add the promotion of urban agriculture to the current act. The bill would prohibit the Land Bank Fast Track Authority from procuring profits related to agricultural operations that involve raising livestock and poultry.

The United States Department of Agriculture's 2007 Agricultural Census has been released. An article in the Muskegon Chronicle provides a nice summary from a Michigan perspective. The good news is that Michigan livestock and crop sales increased by 53 percent from the previous census in 2002 in terms of dollar sales. Also of note is the fact that gross sales per Michigan farm grew by 45 percent, also in terms of dollar sales. The bad news is that production costs increased enough that the average net income per farm actually fell. Furthermore, the survey results do not accurately reflect the prices farmers are currently receiving for their products. The price of farm commodities has generally fallen since the census.

Also of note is that 14 percent of Michigan farms accounted for 90 percent of sales leaving 86 percent of all farms with less than $100,000 in sales. As one would expect, this concentration has stemmed partly from a surge in CAFOs.

This video from the Michigan Farm Bureau discusses the discontinued use of rBST in milk. The use of rBST increases milk yields so farmers who stop using it can expect decreased yields. Assuming that rBST is harmless to both cows and humans, should the Michigan Farm Bureau engage in a public education effort?