By Cameron Rudolph
Over his decade spent in the Michigan Legislature, Sen. Sam Singh, 28th District, has learned a lot about the state’s farmers and the challenges they face. But his agricultural education began during his initial foray into politics, serving as a city council member and later as mayor of East Lansing.
Representing the area in which Michigan State University resides and a region with an abundance of farms necessitated a crash course in all things agriculture, from talking to local farmers and industry organizations to interacting with university leaders.
“I grew up in a suburban area, went to MSU and didn’t have an ag background,” Singh said. “But when I began representing the area and eventually joined the legislature, first for six years in the House and now in my Senate term, I wanted to ensure I understood everything happening at the university. I threw myself into that, and I had a lot of good local farmers who helped educate me about agriculture. It’s a challenging business, but it’s one that’s undeniably important to Michigan.”
Agriculture is the state’s second-largest industry, delivering more than $125 billion in economic activity each year. Michigan also ranks second nationally in agricultural diversity — No. 1 with reliable access to water — producing more than 300 commodities. For Singh, this meant he wanted to have his finger on the pulse of what Michigan’s farmers need and how MSU is responding.
In addition to a wide range of other assignments, Singh is a member of the Senate’s Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee, as well as the Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee.
Source : msu.edu