By Andi Anderson
Michigan Sen. John Cherry has become a strong supporter of Michigan agriculture, even though he is not a farmer himself. Representing the 27th District, he regularly speaks with farmers to better understand their challenges and experiences.
He explained that agriculture concerns vary across his district, which includes rural, suburban, and urban communities.
Cherry said, “In my district, it’s very diverse in that we have rural, suburban and urban areas, so the conversation around agriculture is very different across the district. I’m not a farmer, but the farmers I’ve talked to have spoken to the economic difficulties that exist around agriculture. Margins are very thin. Prices for commodities are not what they would hope. The equipment is very expensive.”
In urban communities, he noted that access to healthy food becomes part of broader public health conversations.
Cherry serves as vice chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee, a role that connects him directly with issues shaping Michigan’s natural resources and agricultural economy.
Cherry’s earlier work with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources strengthened his interest in conservation, innovation, and long‑term sustainability.
He said that programs such as MSU AgBioResearch and MSU Extension play a critical role in helping farmers succeed. Cherry shared that his own family values fresh, local food and often visits orchards and farms. He added that experiences like these are possible because of research that helps farmers innovate.
He emphasized the importance of investing in agricultural research, stating, “Any industry that’s not innovating is dying. In manufacturing or technology, if you’re not innovating, you’re going the way of the dinosaur. But there’s a specific challenge for agriculture. With other sectors, you have companies big enough to spur on innovation themselves. But in agriculture, most individual producers and commodities don’t operate at the scale to invest in research on their own.”
Cherry supports major MSU programs such as Project GREEEN, the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture, and the Agricultural Resiliency Program. These initiatives help solve issues defined directly by Michigan farmers.
Research includes fighting invasive insects, addressing plant diseases, improving irrigation, and responding to animal health threats such as highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Cherry’s personal connection to agriculture extends to his wife’s family coffee farm in Peru. He described how research helped address coffee leaf rust, saying, “We were having trouble with an issue called la roya (coffee leaf rust), and we used research papers from multiple institutions to figure out ways to deal with it effectively.”
As fewer farmers serve in the legislature, Cherry stresses the importance of communication and education. He believes MSU’s research and outreach are essential to helping lawmakers make informed decisions.
Cherry said, “Having a land-grant institution like MSU that’s working every day to help deliver that information and find solutions to challenges in agriculture so farmers can have a sustainable, profitable livelihood is critically important for the future.”
Photo Credit: gettyimages-nes
Categories: Michigan, Education