Governor Granholm, Senate and House majority and minority leaders:
We are writing on behalf of the Michigan State University, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Graduate Student Organization (CSS GSO) regarding recent developments involving state funding of research in higher education and agricultural programs. As graduate students of Michigan State University, many of whom are residents of Michigan, we feel that continued funding of agricultural research is imperative to the state’s economic future. According to Don Koivisto, Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture, “By investing in our agri-food system, we are significantly contributing to Michigan’s economic development and diversification.” He goes on to claim that agri-business is the state’s second largest economic driver.
As reported by the USDA’s 2007 census of agriculture, the value of agricultural sales was $5.75 billion, up $2 billion from 2002, indicating that Michigan agriculture is a vital component of the state’s economic success. With one million residents employed in the agri-food industry, failure to adequately fund applied research would be a severe disservice to the residents, industry professionals, family farmers, and researchers in this state. As future leaders in agricultural research, education, and outreach, the opportunities to work and reside in Michigan will be extremely limited if Michigan State University Extension and Michigan Agricultural Experiment Stations are not maintained and invested in continually. Additionally, without these institutions, new talent in the agricultural industry will not be attracted to Michigan.
Michigan State University was the first land-grant institution in the country, centered on agricultural research and outreach. Without continued funding from the state, the ability to enact these core values upon which the university was founded will cease. Please keep these ideals in mind when encountering legislation that will in turn shape the economic future of this great state.
Again, on behalf of the 59 student members of the CSS GSO, we ask for your continued support of agricultural funding. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Laura Bast and Alexander Lindsey