Tim Boring, who leads the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), believes that Michigan's role in farming and food is important. He recently visited Washington, D.C., to talk about how Michigan is a great place for investing in farming and how the state is focusing on eco-friendly farming methods.
During his visit, Boring joined a meeting by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) where they discussed how much food different farms will produce. He used this chance to talk about what Michigan wants to do. He mentioned that Michigan is working on smart ways to deal with the changing climate. This means finding better ways to grow crops and deliver food to people. He also said that having different kinds of crops is important for Michigan's farms to be successful and to help the environment.
Boring also met with people from the USDA's Farm Production and Conservation Business Center. They talked about how to make farms more able to handle changes in the weather. Boring said, "Climate changes have made things difficult for our farmers. The weather is not predictable, and it affects how much food we can grow and sell." He asked for new ideas to help farmers do better, like growing different types of crops and using new farming methods.
Boring also spent time with the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). They talked about the information they collected from many farmers across the country. They want to understand how much food each farm will make. This information helps everyone know what to expect in terms of food.
NASS will also ask farmers more questions in September. They will learn how much land is used for different crops and how much food they make. This information helps farmers and people who work with food plan better.
Boring's visit shows that Michigan wants to be good at farming in a way that helps the environment. They want to make sure they grow enough food, even when the weather changes. They also want to make sure that the food is healthy and good for everyone.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-ygrek
Categories: Michigan, Government & Policy