Michigan Farmers Research Articles

Corn yield response to phosphorus fertilizer in Michigan: a metamodeling approach for phosphorus management policies

Phosphorus (P) pollution from nonpoint sources is a persistent agricultural externality. P fertilizer use in excess of crop removal leads to soil P accumulation and increases chance of P runoff from agricultural fields. For fertilizer-intensive crops such as corn, effective nutrient management can partly mitigate the externality associated with fertilizer use. In states such as Michigan with abundant freshwater resources that are vulnerable to P pollution and where corn is grown intensively, understanding yield response is instrumental for P management policies. We analyze corn yield response to P fertilizer and control for soil P. We use farmer survey data from 1650 corn farmers in Michigan and a crop-simulation model to obtain data in a metamodeling approach to estimate yield function. Using the estimated function in profit maximization set up, we calculate agronomically and economically optimal profit-maximizing P application rates for Michigan, across agricultural regions, and across different soil types. We find that corn yield responds to P only in low soil P (0–5 ppm or mg kg−1) fields and the economically optimal P rate for Michigan is [63, 68] kg ha−1 or [53, 61] lbs acre−1 for low soil P fields and would be zero for fields with adequate soil P. For existing soil P levels in Michigan, the self-reported P application of Michigan corn farmers exceeds the profit-maximizing P application rate. We compare our analysis results with self-reported survey data to demonstrate excess P applications. Since many fields in Michigan have high soil P, additional P application in excess of crop removal increases risks of eutrophication. We also find that 10 % increase in P prices faced by farmers would lead to 3.1 % reduction in the economically optimal P application rate. Based on these results, we discuss suitable policy options such as fertilizer “usage fee” and tailored fertilizer recommendations.

Imperfect Freedom: The Failed Plot to Kidnap John Felix White

Imperfect Freedom: The Failed Plot to Kidnap John Felix White Carol E. Mull (bio) In the fall of 1847, John Felix White labored on a farm in southeast Michigan, some three hundred miles from the place he had been enslaved since age two. A few years earlier, he fled Kentucky with assistance from activists who directed him toward Canada. He found little joy in freedom, however, envisioning his wife and children still suffering in slavery, and decided to resettle in Michigan. With every strike of the hoe and swing of the scythe, he sought to fund his family’s rescue, unaware that the Kentuckian who planned to carry him to the New Orleans slave market had tracked him northward, determined to derail the seemingly impenetrable networks protecting self-emancipators in the Great Lakes region.1 White’s escape, near-kidnapping, rescues, and continued involvement with the Underground Railroad add to our understanding of the transnational antislavery movement in Michigan and beyond. It begins with White’s horrific choice between being sold far from his young wife and children or making a risky permanent escape. He chose the latter. His initial flight from Kentucky started with protection from free Blacks in Indiana and ended in a Black settlement in Canada West (contemporary Ontario). The corroborating accounts of famed abolitionists Rev. Levi Coffin and Laura Smith Haviland describe White’s conveyance northward along an established interracial network from the Ohio River borderlands to the Detroit River borderlands.2 [End Page 67] The attempt in late 1847 to forcibly take White back into bondage reveals the escalation of proslavery activism beyond the border states. Following kidnapping attempts in Marshall, Detroit, and Cass County, slaveholders made another foray to Raisin, Michigan, to capture White. The men who schemed to forcibly kidnap him could rely on associations that funded retrieval of their “Servants.” Proslavery advocates in southern border states created associations to recapture self-emancipators. A stated object of the Kenton County Association was “the security of our Servants, and the recovery of such as may be absconded from their masters or owners.” Politically, they sought a stronger federal fugitive slave law that would curtail free states’ resistance.3 The men who expected to capture and return White must have been mystified to discover farmers in rural Michigan protecting a runaway. The reach of practical abolitionism extended far beyond Michigan’s major cities to small towns and rural properties, such as Watkins Farm.4 Before the Civil War, prominent self-emancipators—such as Josiah Henson and Henry Bibb—wrote autobiographical accounts of their attempts to rescue family from bondage. White’s story, penned by others after Emancipation, specified people by name, providing the means for a full investigation. White was described as an esteemed friend. He gained an education, worked and saved, and maintained friendships with those who aided him in his initial escape. White took charge of his future, rebuffing every suggestion that created distance from his family, and continually prevailed on abolitionists Levi Coffin and Laura Haviland to support his desperate recovery strategies. He twice persuaded Haviland to risk travel into Kentucky, while a bounty for her arrest could have led to a lengthy prison term. White financed, planned, and initiated the liberation of his family on the Ohio River borderlands. He enlisted Black and White friends in careful, clandestine preparations. Of course, he could not plan for the weather.5 [End Page 68] John White and the Transnational Great Lakes Network to Freedom White was born into bondage in Virginia and enslaved in northern Kentucky from the age of two. He was known as Felix during the twenty-five years he described as being “whipped up,” rather than “raised up.”6 Despite severe limitations on his freedom, the young man formed a relationship with Jennie [Jane] Stephens, who lived nearby, and they bore four children by 1845. Jennie was raised on the farm of Benjamin Stephens Jr., her legal possessor and reputed father, in the rural hamlet of Rabbit Hash in Boone County. In 1840, Stephens held nineteen people, including Jennie and her children, enslaved on his property.7 It was the fate of the enslaved to face sudden, horrific changes. The...

Rural Michigan Farmers' Health Concerns and Experiences: A Focus Group Study.

Objectives:Rural residents comprise approximately 15% of the United States population. They face challenges in accessing and using a health care system that is not structured to meet their unique needs. It is important to understand rural residents’ perceptions of health and experiences interacting with the health care system to identify gaps in care.Methods:Our team conducted focus groups with members of the Michigan Farm Bureau during their 2019 Annual Meeting. Topics explored included resources to manage health, barriers to virtual health care services, and desired changes to localized healthcare delivery. Surveys were used to capture demographic and internet access information.Conclusion:Analysis included data from 2 focus groups (n = 14). Participants represented a wide age range and a variety of Michigan counties. The majority were full-time farm owners with most—93% (n = 13)—reporting they had access to the internet in their homes and 86% (n = 12) reporting that their cellphones had internet capabilities. Participants identified challenges and opportunities in 4 categories: formal health care; health and well-being supports; health insurance experiences; and virtual health care.Conclusion:The findings from this study provide a useful framework for developing interventions to address the specific needs of rural farming residents. Despite the expressed challenges in access and use of health care services and resources, participants remained hopeful that innovative approaches, such as virtual health platforms, can address existing gaps in care. The study findings should inform the design and evaluation of interventions to address rural health disparities.

Michigan Farmers of Color and the Future of Sustainable Food Systems

Historically, racial and ethnic disparities in agriculture and the food system experienced by farmers of color (FoC) in the United States and in Michigan stem from an exploitative and racialized agricultural system in which white people have primarily benefited and profited. Sustainable agriculture with a strong orientation toward racial justice can serve as a medium for building more racial equity and transforming our racialized food system. Such a medium ensures that the resources to participate and contribute to a sustainable food system are accessible to everyone, not just those with significant power and resources. Although the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is in the initial phases of developing a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plan, there is currently no specific plan to support and target FoC. While there are several programs performing this work from grassroot organizations, civic groups, extension services, and others, there is no comprehensive statewide effort to create support systems for FoC in Michigan. To address this issue, we recommend the creation of an incentivized farm program as a way to address agrarian racial and ethnic disparities experienced by FoC and advance an equitable and just sustainable food system within the state of Michigan.

A look from the inside: perspectives on the expansion of food assistance programs at Michigan farmers markets

There has been a recent push to offer more food assistance programs at farmers markets. Yet, as more programs are developed for farmers markets, little input has been sought from those who are ultimately responsible for their implementation. This ethnographic study explores the experiences of farmers markets that have been early adopters of federal food assistance programs. Participant observation and in-depth interviews were used in six early-adopting markets to understand staff perspectives on the challenges and benefits of administering food assistance programs. The results show that even markets with strong organizational capacity experienced significant burdens while operating food assistance programs. In addition, most worried about the sustainability of these programs due to the level of resources needed for their support. The findings suggest that calls to expand food assistance programs to all farmers markets will continue to be met with challenges as many markets will not have the capacity to operate them. Targeting farmers markets with strong organizational capacity may increase the probability of successful implementation, but building the organizational capacity of farmers markets may be necessary for widespread adoption. The study has implications for other sectors of civil society that are increasingly taking on the work of providing government programs.

Stewarding dairy herd health and antibiotic use on U.S. Amish and Plain Mennonite farms

This study uses a survey of dairy farmers in Michigan and Pennsylvania to examine self-reported antibiotic use and use of natural therapies to treat mastitis on dairy farms, comparing Amish and Mennonite (Plain) farmers to others. Plain farmers represent a large minority of U.S. farmers, and their proportion is projected to increase. Scholars suggest a unique environmental ethic amongst Plain farmers, and we extend this to examine antibiotic use. Antibiotic use is a key component of sustainability on dairy farms. Regarding environmental sustainability, imprudent antibiotic use is associated with the risk of antibiotic resistance and drug residues. Regarding economic sustainability, antibiotic use is associated with increased costs and lost production. Results suggest that Plain farmers use antibiotics less frequently than others and rely more frequently on natural therapies. However, Mennonite farmers more closely resemble non-Plain peers. This suggests the need to recognize the distinctiveness of Plain farmers and that Plain farmers may offer lessons on sustainable practices that could be extended to other farmers.

Skeptical but Adapting: What Midwestern Farmers Say about Climate Change

Abstract Farmers stand to be greatly affected by changes in the climate, necessitating adaptive responses, yet little is documented on how U.S. Midwestern farmers understand and perceive climate change adaptation. Eight focus groups with 53 Michigan farmers were conducted in 2011–12 to better understand the following: 1) what do farmers think about the relationship between climate change and agriculture, 2) what differentiates normal weather-related management from climate change adaptation actions, and 3) how do farmers understand the term “climate change adaptation.” Farmers expressed skepticism at global climate change yet conveyed specific details about the local changes in climate they are experiencing on their farms. They were not able to clearly define the term “climate change adaptation” but did note specific adaptive actions they have already implemented. The farmers explained that nonclimate factors were of more concern to them when making management decisions, and they showed reactive (not proactive) actions toward adaptation. Farmers noted that any action they take has to address their specific situation, suggesting that generalized adaptation actions and language might not resonate with them. Building on quantitative surveys conducted by others, the findings in this paper contribute to ongoing efforts to more effectively assess farmers’ perceptions related to climate change adaptation and to use that understanding to promote education, outreach, research, and public policies to more proactively address the consequences posed by climate change.

Midwestern US Farmers Perceive Crop Advisers as Conduits of Information on Agricultural Conservation Practices.

Nonpoint source pollution from agricultural land uses continues to pose one of the most significant threats to water quality in the US, with measurable impacts across local, regional, and national scales. The impact and the influence of targeted conservation efforts are directly related to the degree to which farmers are familiar with and trust the entities providing the information and/or outreach. Recent research suggests that farmers consistently rank independent and retail-affiliated crop advisers as among the most trusted and influential sources for agronomic information, but little is understood about whether farmers are willing to receive advice from crop advisers on the use of practices that conserve soil and water, and, if so, whether crop advisers will be perceived as influential. We present survey data from farmers (n = 1461) in Michigan's Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron) watershed to explore these questions. Results suggest that farmers view crop advisers as trustworthy sources of information about conservation, and influential on management practices that have large conservation implications. We discuss these results, along with perceived barriers and opportunities to crop advisers partnering with traditional conservation agencies to enhance the impact of voluntary conservation programs.

Confirmation of a Three-Way (Glyphosate, ALS, and Atrazine) Herbicide-Resistant Population of Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) in Michigan

The failure of PRE and POST applications of atrazine to control Palmer amaranth in recent field studies prompted further investigation to determine whether this population had evolved resistance to multiple herbicide sites of action, including glyphosate (Group 9), thifensulfuron (Group 2), and atrazine (Group 5). Greenhouse and laboratory experiments were conducted to: (1) confirm the presence of resistance to glyphosate, an ALS inhibitor (thifensulfuron), and atrazine in a single Palmer amaranth population; and (2) establish the molecular basis for resistance to these herbicide sites of action. In the greenhouse, glyphosate+thifensulfuron+atrazine at 1.26 kg ae ha−1+0.0044 kg ai ha−1+1.12 kg ai ha−1provided 55% control of the suspected multiply resistant (MR) Palmer amaranth population and 93% control of the known susceptible population (S). The decreased sensitivity of the MR population compared with the S population at labeled use rates of these herbicides indicated that this population was likely resistant to three different herbicide site of action groups. The RF values for POST applications of glyphosate, thifensulfuron, and atrazine were 12.2, 42.9, and 9.3 times, respectively, for the MR Palmer amaranth population relative to the S population. The RF value for atrazine PRE for the MR population was 112.2 times. Laboratory experiments confirmed that the mechanisms for resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides and glyphosate in the MR Palmer amaranth population were target-site based, via amino acid substitution and amplifiedEPSPScopy number, respectively. There was a Pro to Leu substitution at site 197 in the ALS inhibitor–resistant plants, and there was a greater than 50-fold increase inEPSPScopy number in the glyphosate-resistant plants. There were no nucleotide changes in thepsbAgene; therefore, atrazine resistance in this population was not target-site mediated. The evolution of this multiple herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth population poses significant management challenges to Michigan farmers.

Who Works Here? Contingent Labor, Nonfamily Labor, and Immigrant Labor on U.S. Dairy Farms

Using a survey of dairy farmers in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Florida, this study examines labor patterns on U.S. dairy farms by analyzing employment of nonfamily and immigrant labor, as well as labor precarity and contingency. We build upon and connect two divergent theoretical frames: first, the contradictory class location of family farmers, and second, the neoliberal rise of precarious and contingent labor. We move beyond the family/nonfamily farm binary often found in examinations of the class location of family farmers, including the interplay of family and nonfamily labor, demonstrating that farm size is an equally important component of labor relations to farm ownership structure. Farms’ labor relations more accurately exist on a continuum between “family” and “industrial” that reflects both ownership structure and farm size. Extending the study of precarious and contingent labor into the agricultural sector, we suggest that high rates of overtime work may be a unique form of labor precarity in agriculture, not just part-time work. Scholars must acknowledge that labor precarity and contingency may take different forms across diverse sectors.

Agricultural sustainability: Five midwestern row crop farmers share their views

In mid-July of 2016, I visited and interviewed five corn (Zea mays L.) farmers in central Michigan and southwestern Indiana, United States, to hear their thoughts about the sustainability of farming, through the lenses of their careers and operations. I was introduced to the farmers through their area Extension specialists. Each farmer had a history of conservation and had in some way cooperated with studies being conducted by USDA–National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) funded Climate and Corn-based Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project. Their comments provide insight into the opportunities identified, questions asked, and challenges faced by farmers as they balance economic, environmental, and social concerns while running their farms.

Why Don't They Just Change? Contract Farming, Informational Influence, and Barriers to Agricultural Climate Change Mitigation

AbstractUsing a mixed‐methods study of contract seed‐corn farmers in southwest Michigan, we examine the effect of interlocking macro and micro social forces on climate change behavior and apply the theoretical frames of treadmills of production and informational influence. We find that competitive agricultural contracts in the seed‐corn industry impose significant structural barriers to adopting climate change mitigation behaviors. Seed‐corn contracts constrain adoption of those behaviors through competitive rankings based solely on net commodity production and by limiting farmers’ access to information to make judicious management decisions. At the micro level, our findings suggest that informational influence—that is, where farmers turn for trusted information—also affects climate change mitigation behaviors, and that these informational networks are embedded within structural constraints. Our findings suggest that agricultural contracts serve as a significant structural constraint on the adoption of mitigation practices and that climate scholarship and policy must address both macro and micro dimensions simultaneously to encourage adoption of climate change mitigation.

From Afterthought to Staple: Expanding use of pulses as food ingredient in U.S. diets

From Afterthought to Staple: Expanding use of pulses as food ingredient in U.S. diets

Reducing nitrogen fertilizer application as a climate change mitigation strategy: Understanding farmer decision-making and potential barriers to change in the US

Nitrogen fertilizer use in agriculture is associated with water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. While practices and programs to reduce nitrogen fertilizer application continue to be developed, inefficient fertilizer use persists and little is known about farmer decision-making regarding application rates. The purpose of this study was to explore farmer decision-making in the context of reducing the application of nitrogen fertilizer as a climate change mitigation strategy and to assess barriers to reduced application and participating in a potential offsets program. Research methods included mail surveys, interviews, and focus groups with corn farmers in Michigan, United States (US). Results indicate that potential barriers to increasing nitrogen use efficiency for climate change mitigation include: perceptions about climate change, limited access to information and technological tools, and constraints imposed by the political economy of US agriculture. Education programs, government subsidies or cost-sharing programs, and including influential market and political actors in discussions about fertilizer use and climate change mitigation may address some of these barriers. Policies and programs focused on nitrogen fertilizer use and climate change mitigation in agriculture should be aware of these barriers and how they might be addressed.

Using a Case Approach to Assess Farmers’ Attitudes Regarding Central Terminal Model Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Programs at Selected Michigan Farmers Markets

Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has pushed to increase the number of farmers markets that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (formerly known as food stamps) via Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT). However, a small percentage of farmers markets accept SNAP and little is known of the experience of the farmer-vendors who participate in central terminal model EBT programs at farmers markets. The objective of this exploratory study was to elucidate farmers’ attitudes regarding central terminal model EBT programs at selected Michigan farmers markets. This study used qualitative research methods and a case approach. Thirty-two farmers that participated in central terminal model EBT programs at farmers markets were interviewed. Three main themes emerged. First, based on their experiences, farmers expressed a positive attitude toward central terminal model EBT programs at farmers markets. Second, positive attitudes were often associated with the view that market managers had made it easy for farmers to accept EBT benefits and freed them from the administrative burdens of redemption and federal reporting. Third, farmers believed that accepting food assistance benefits attracted new customers to the farmers market thus expanding their customer base. While these results may not be reflective of farmers’ attitudes in other regions, the themes that emerged highlight topics that may be important considerations when making future decisions about the expansion of electronic food assistance programs at farmers markets.

Registration of ‘Jupiter’ Wheat

‘Jupiter’ (Reg. No. CV‐1076, PI 664079) soft white winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed by Michigan State University (MSU) AgBioResearch and released in 2010 via an exclusive licensing agreement through MSU Technologies. In addition to researchers at MSU, USDA‐ARS researchers at the Soft Wheat Quality Laboratory (Wooster, OH) conducted quality evaluations during Jupiter's development, deoxynivalenol testing was performed at the University of Minnesota, and molecular marker analyses were performed at the USDA‐ARS Regional Small Grains Genotyping Laboratory (Raleigh, NC). The objective of the cross was to create a high‐yielding soft white winter wheat cultivar adapted to Michigan and the surrounding region with good agronomic performance and acceptable quality. Soft white winter wheat is used in many wheat related industries and is a large portion of the wheat market in Michigan. Jupiter (experimental numbers E5011B and E5011) is an F5–derived line developed via pedigree breeding. Jupiter exhibits a stable and high level of performance including high yield and resistance to powdery mildew [caused by Blumeria graminis (DC.) E.O. Speer]. Jupiter is short and awnletted (i.e., lacks full‐length awns), two characteristics preferred by many Michigan farmers. Although Jupiter is susceptible to Fusarium head blight (caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe), it is not statistically different than ‘Caledonia’, a widely grown soft white winter wheat in Michigan.

Responding to Climate Change

The authors apply Ulrich Beck’s theory of reflexive modernization to examine how farmers in the United States perceive and respond to climate change. Using a case study, the authors identify diversions from Beck’s original theory and explore the importance of social constructionist and political economy perspectives. The article focuses on corn farmers in southwestern Michigan to examine climate risk recognition and reflexive responses, concentrating on the role of nitrogen fertilizer as a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Results from interviews, focus groups, and a mail survey indicate that dualistic worldviews and exposure to limited and/or biased information can inhibit farmers from acknowledging climate change as a risk. In addition, structural barriers inhibit farmers from reducing nitrogen fertilizer application in response to climate change. These findings offer insights applicable to climate change mitigation efforts and also demonstrate the importance of both social constructionist and political economy perspectives to identify barriers to reflexive modernization.

Farmers’ Willingness to Participate in Payment‐for‐Environmental‐Services Programmes

AbstractUnderstanding farmers’ willingness to participate in agricultural payment‐for‐environmental‐services (PES) programmes is an essential precondition for designing effective and efficient programmes. Willingness to participate is typically examined via stated preference surveys using the standard hurdle model for whether and how much to participate. Among respondents who decline to participate, such analyses cannot distinguish between respondents who declined due to the payment level and those who were not interested at all. This paper applies a double hurdle model to incorporate a prior condition for whether a respondent is even willing to consider participating in the PES market. The model uses a unique stated preference survey permitting separation of the consideration and enrolment decisions of 1,700 farmers in Michigan, USA. The first hurdle probit model suggests that farmers’ willingness to consider PES chiefly depends on farm and farmer characteristics, while the second hurdle tobit model shows that decisions on whether and how much to enrol depend more on the payment offer and marginal benefit–cost criteria. This study provides fresh insights on facilitating farmer participation in PES programmes using tiered strategies that differ in costs of programme payment and administration.

Determinants of Hoophouse Profitability: A Case Study of 12 Novice Michigan Farmers

Quantitative and qualitative data from a group of 12 novice hoophouse farmers over a 3-year period in Michigan were analyzed to better understand factors associated with profitable use of these structures. There was wide variation in labor inputs and effective wages. We used regression analysis and semistructured interviews to better understand the variation in performance. Not all farmers were making use of the hoophouse between outdoor seasons when supply is low and prices are high, as economic theory would predict. However, high wage earners were more likely to push production into the extended season months, hire labor at higher wages, and spend less time in maintaining crops and appeared to harvest more efficiently. Markets played a role in farmers’ success as some farmers were able to make significant profits by organizing community-supported agriculture (CSA)/direct sales or by finding new markets.

Consumer demand for local produce at extended season farmers' markets: guiding farmer marketing strategies

AbstractLocally grown food is gaining popularity and increasing its prevalence holds potential for broad social, economic and environmental benefits. Season extension technologies such as hoop houses offer a solution to limited growing seasons, a major constraint in many areas, enhancing efforts to supply locally grown food. This paper discusses research conducted at three Michigan farmers' markets, locations where Michigan farmers utilizing hoop houses currently sell their produce. The research measures consumers' willingness to buy local produce at extended season markets using a set of four complementary methods: dot poster surveys, written surveys, focus groups and experimental auctions. Building upon prior research on attributes that create value for local foods (spatial proximity, food quality and relationships between farmers and consumers), our results inform farmers' choice of marketing mix. We find consumers willing to pay a premium for large quantities of locally grown produce, with many placing highest value on products grown in Michigan. We conclude that extended season farmers' markets supplied by hoop house grown produce create an opportunity for farm viability and further development of the market for locally grown food.