Senator Stabenow Secures $78 Million for Michigan Specialty Crop Producers

Dec 11, 2024

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, Monday announced that Michigan Specialty Crop producers will receive at least $78 million through the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program. The new program will provide $2 billion to support the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crop growers across the country as they manage competing pressures from rising labor costs, the climate crisis, and international markets.

Stabenow said: “It’s not easy to grow fruits and vegetables, and it is important for growers to apply for this new program as soon as possible. These new resources will help ensure that our specialty crop industry, from producers large and small, remains competitive into the future.”

Chairwoman Stabenow was instrumental in securing these new resources through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) authorities under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act. USDA is now accepting applications through Jan. 8, 2025.

Source : senate.gov

Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.