2025 House Resolution 32

Whereas, Every March, states nationwide come together to celebrate the vital role of food and agriculture in driving the national economy.

Whereas, The Michigan food and agriculture industry contributes more than $125.8 billion annually to the state’s economy and is a major source of employment for the state’s workforce, supporting approximately 805,000 jobs, which is roughly 17.2 percent of the state’s workforce; and

Whereas, Michigan’s food and agriculture sector is the second-most diverse in the country with 47,600 farms, 99 percent of which are family-owned, farming nearly 10 million acres of farmland and commercially producing more than 300 food and agricultural commodities; and

Whereas, Michigan ranks first in the nation for asparagus production, producing up to 30 million pounds annually; and

Whereas, Michigan is one of the top blueberry-producing states, with 87 million pounds produced by over 500 farms, contributing nearly $130 million to the state’s economy; and

Whereas, Michigan has about 12,000 farms with 1.1 million cattle and calves, contributing $140 million in beef exports annually; and

Whereas, Michigan produced over 500 million pounds of dry edible beans, valued at over $200 million; and

Whereas, Michigan ranks seventh in egg production, with more than 16.6 million laying hens on average producing over 5 billion eggs per year, economically impacting the state of Michigan by $1.4 billion; and

Whereas, Michigan leads the nation in floriculture crops, including impatiens, begonias, marigolds, geraniums, hearty chrysanthemums, and petunias, with a value of $695 million; and

Whereas, Michigan has 10,900 acres of vines, making it the eighth-largest grape-producing state in the nation and home to more than 200 commercial wineries; and

Whereas, Michigan is now the fourth-largest hop-growing state in the United States; and

Whereas, In 2022 Michigan had 2,066,138 acres of farms under irrigation; and

Whereas, Michigan grows 59% of the United States’ tart cherries, ranking first in production with 182 million pounds; and

Whereas, Michigan grows over 1.2 billion pounds of apples on 38,000 acres, with an economic impact of over $350 million; and

Whereas, Michigan grows many varieties of kale, with market growth exceeding 60% in recent years; and

Whereas, Michigan produces multiple varieties of lettuce, both indoors and outdoors, benefiting from climate, muck soil, and hydroponic opportunities; and

Whereas, Michigan ranks fifth in the nation for maple syrup production, producing approximately 200,000 gallons per year, with an economic impact of $8.7 million in 2023; and

Whereas, Michigan’s nursery, landscape, and lawn care industries contribute $4.5 billion to the economy; and

Whereas, Michigan produces approximately 79 million pounds of onions, yielding a total value of $10 million; and

Whereas, Michigan produced more than 11 million pounds of peaches, on roughly 23,000 acres; and

Whereas, Michigan has over 500 farms and 500 acres dedicated to raspberry production; and

Whereas, Soybeans are Michigan’s top agricultural export, with over 105million bushels produced, valued at over $1.55 billion; and

Whereas, Michigan grows tomatoes for both fresh and processed uses, producing 120,100 tons of processing tomatoes and 74 million pounds for the fresh market; and

Whereas, Michigan is home to over 1,000 dairy farms, caring for over 440,000, producing an industry-leading 27,680 pounds of milk per cow annually, ranking sixth in the nation for milk production; and

Whereas, Michigan grows over 50 types of vegetables, with 3,047 farms harvesting over 165,000 acres; and

Whereas, Michigan has over 460,000 acres of wheat across 75 counties, producing over 36 million bushels annually; and

Whereas, Michigan is the leading producer of potatoes for potato chip processing, making potatoes the second-leading produce commodity in the state, with over 1.9 billion pounds of potatoes produced annually, contributing over $2.5 billion to Michigan’s economy; and

Whereas, Michigan’s pumpkin and squash production generates over $55 million from approximately 257 million pounds of produce; and

Whereas, Michigan ranks first nationally in cucumber production, with over 800 farms harvesting over 29,000 acres and 53.6 million pounds of cucumbers; and

Whereas, Michigan’s food and agriculture sector continues to be a thriving industry, offering new opportunities for Michiganders, making food and agriculture a cornerstone of Michigan’s continued prosperity; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare March 2025 as Agriculture appreciation Month in the state of Michigan. We encourage all citizens to recognize and celebrate this momentous occasion.