A recent op-ed in the NYT was criticized for omitting information on a study that concluded there were higher incidences of disease in free-range pork. The author responds.
Jim Byrum is serving as the President of the Michigan Agri-business Association (MABA) as well as serving as the chair of the Michigan Commission of Agriculture. He discusses his career, goals, and policy views.
Migrant labor housing in Michigan is regulated under part 124, of Act 368 of 1978 as a part of the public heath code. The administration of part 124 of the act falls under the purview of the Department of Environmental Health (DEH).
Tom Vilsack, the new agriculture secretary has suggested that one agency should be responsible for food safety, rather than the myriad of agencies under the current system.
A brief summary of the ramifications of the 2007 USDA Agricultural Census for Michigan.
Agriculture
rBST in Milk
Written by Peter Goralski
Thursday, 04 December 2008 00:01
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?
40,000 at Colorado Farm
Written by Peter Goralski
Tuesday, 25 November 2008 05:14
Neither policy nor Michigan but an interesting article.
Waterkeeper: Federal Regulations on CAFOs
Written by Peter Goralski
Sunday, 23 November 2008 19:49
In February of 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised requirements which changed the federal regulation of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). These changes were challenged by several different groups. The case eventually made its way to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The case, Waterkeeper Alliance et al. v. EPA resulted in a ruling in which both environmentalists and farmers got something they wanted. (1)
A list of all court cases among the upper courts in Michigan dealing with agriculture, various news articles concerning the courts and agriculture, and links and brief descriptions of stories dealing with the courts and agriculture.
RSS feeds from various sources dealing with Michigan, or localities within Michigan and Michigan agriculture, as well as links and brief descriptions to stories concerning local action pertaining to agriculture.
RSS Feeds from sources relating to federal action on agriculture, and links to various sites involved in agriculture.
Feel free to join the Michigan Policy Network or you can sign up for email in order to be notified when new articles are posted. When you register you can join in the discussion forum. You are also welcome to contribute to the Michigan Policy Network Wiki. Upcoming events can be viewed at the calander here.
Farmland Preservation and Wind Power
Written by Peter Goralski
Friday, 07 November 2008 21:24
Farmers enrolled in Michigan's farmland preservation program, commonly known as PA 116, and wishing to have wind turbines installed on their land, have faced uncertainty over their status under PA 116 until now. The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) has issued a statement regarding the department's stance towards the placement of wind turbines on farmland under PA 116. The statement is favorable towards farmers with some caveats.
The Michigan Policy Network is a student-led public education and research program to report and organize news and information about the political process surrounding Michigan state policy issues. It is run out of the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University, with participation by students from the College of Social Science, the College of Communication, and James Madison College.
The thoughts, opinions, and positions represented herein are solely those of the participating students and in no way represent an official position or policy recommendation of Michigan State University.
