State Sen. Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) serves as the Michigan Senate Republican Leader and is a Republican candidate for Governor.

 

MORE NEWS: Embattled Hamtramck Police Chief Allowed To Resign With Five Months Severance

LANSING, Mich. – I’ve spent my life rooted in the soil of our state’s agricultural heritage. Growing up on a sixth-generation dairy and grape farm, I learned firsthand the hard work and dedication it takes to sustain a family operation through seasons of plenty and challenge.

Michigan’s farm industry isn’t just an economic powerhouse—generating billions and supporting countless jobs, it’s also the lifeblood of our rural communities. 70 of our 83 counties are rural or mostly rural. It’s time to stop treating these communities as an afterthought.

That ends now.

If I’m elected as your next governor, that comes to an end on day one.

My Michigan-first, rural agenda reflects what I’ve learned growing up on a family farm and what I’ve learned listening to farmers across our state. From cutting red tape to preserving farmland for future generations, together, we can dismantle barriers, empower producers, and ensure Michigan agriculture thrives and that the current and
next generation of farmers are able to make it in Michigan.

Let’s address the burdensome regulations head-on. Agencies like the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) have too often tied up farmers in red tape that hinders operations and inflates costs. My agenda commits to
making it easier for farmers to do business, cutting needless regulations and getting
government out of the way.

MORE NEWS: Lawmakers Seek to Rein in Michigan’s Marijuana Market

We must repeal broken policies like the Michigan Green New Deal, which threatens to convert prime farmland into solar installations, driving up energy costs and jeopardizing food security. Instead, we’ll protect our outdoor heritage, reduce property tax burdens on farmers maintaining environmental buffers, and simplify rules for responsible resource use. This includes preventing foreign ownership of farmland, especially by adversarial entities like the Chinese Communist Party.

To truly support farmers, we need leaders who get it—because they’ve lived it. That’s why, as governor, I’ll make sure that the department heads who make policy for farmers come from a farming background. Instead of top down mandates, we need to work with industry leaders to make sure our policies are reflecting the actual needs of Michigan farmers and setting the next generation up for success.

This starts with educating the public about the realities farmers face and empowering community groups to push back on those spreading misinformation to promote bad policy. Furthermore, as governor, I will launch state-backed campaigns to share stories of resilience and stewardship, countering misconceptions that lead to harmful policies.

We’ll back this up through investments in rural infrastructure—fixing roads and bridges critical for farm-to-market transport, expanding high-speed internet for precision ag tools, and ensuring affordable energy via projects like the Line 5 tunnel for propane-dependent operations. These steps not only educate urban audiences about rural
needs but also bolster economic independence in our farming communities.

Above all, we must make sure that Michigan farms are able to be handed down to the next generation, and that our youth are excited and prepared to carry the torch of putting food on the table for families across America. With the average Michigan farmer at 58 years old, challenges like soaring land costs, skewed subsidies, and complex successions are real threats. Michigan leads in young farmer-operated farms, but we can amplify that success.

My agenda directly addresses this by encouraging generational estate transfers through tax exemptions, expanding mentorship through stakeholder group partnerships, and redirecting resources to small and mid-sized operations.
We’ll end corporate welfare that industrializes farmland, prioritize brownfield redevelopment over greenfield loss, and combat development pressures by expanding urban housing options.

We don’t need more regulations. We don’t need more mandates.

We need common sense and a Governor focused on tackling the real issues in agriculture, and make sure that our farmers are once again able to make it in Michigan.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Great Lakes News.