| What we
have accomplished |
|
MFGC
Accomplisments 2007 |
| √ |
Established a voice for growers
identifying and addressing issues and threats to profitability |
| √ |
Updates e-mailed monthly to keep
members current on industry and government issues |
| √ |
Liaison to government assuring that
public officials hear the grower's views |
| √ |
Received Energy Grant to study energy
cost reduction strategies; gave growers results through
seminars, notebook, and web site |
| √ |
Partners in energy planning working
with Public Service Commission to facilitate renewable energy
use |
| √ |
Supported grower interests in access to
ground water without grower fees; encouraged reporting of
baseline water use |
| √ |
Channeled MSU's Project GREEEN research
and education to grower topics: energy efficiency and sources,
crop time, post-harvest quality enhancement |
| √ |
Enabled budget billing by communicating
with energy companies to even out costs |
| √ |
Promoted access to natural gas by
supporting offshore drilling bill in US congress |
| √ |
Provides a framework for dealing with
pest and disease threats, working with regulators, researchers
and educators to establish a pragmatic approach with grower
input |
| √ |
Supported MSU Extension and Ag
Experiment Station inclusion in 2% budget increase for 2006
which partially offset inflation |
| Issues
we are addressing |
| √ |
Advocate for reasonable permitting of
bio-fuel boilers |
| √ |
Continue to monitor water-use
regulation |
| √ |
Support income tax credit for bio-fuels
in the Farm Bill |
| √ |
Advocate for grower incentives for
energy conservation and conversion to bio-fuels in the Farm Bill |
| √ |
Support continuing agriculture
exemptions from the SBT into the new Michigan Business Tax |
| √ |
Support the US Farm Bureau's
immigration policy |
| √ |
Joined an alliance with commodities
seeking an agricultural guest worker program |
| √ |
Advocate for improved crop insurance
for greenhouse growers |
| √ |
In the Farm Bill, advocate to include
grower reimbursement for publicly ordered crop destruction |
| √ |
Actively participate on the new State
Invasive Pest Work Group |
| √ |
Support MASS funding (Michigan
Agriculture Statistics Service) |
| √ |
Advocate for research projects in the
growers' interest |
| √ |
Preserve state support for industry
public programs (MSUE, MAES, and MDA) |
| √ |
Continue to advocate for grower
interests in taxation, eminent domain, pesticide registration,
labor, safety, APHIS policies, and other issues identified by
YOU and other MFGC members |
