The Top Five Issues Impacting Northern Michigan Farming in 2026

Agriculture experts talk climate, tariffs, labor, retirements, and the languishing Farm Bill

When’s the last time northern Michigan had a full cherry crop? According to Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center Coordinator Nikki Rothwell, cherry farmers haven’t enjoyed a bona fide “good” crop since 2016.

From the rise of chemical-resistant diseases and insects to climate change’s influence on the region’s growing season to recalcitrant policymakers and terse purse-string-holders in Washington, D.C., there is much that gives local agriculture experts pause. Here are their top five issues to watch for 2026.

No. 1: Climate Change Equals Warmer, Wetter Growing Seasons

No factor more influences a growing season than the climate. Rothwell tells us that a concern she and other agriculture experts share is that climate change is shifting the landscape, often literally, faster than they can adapt.

“Climate change is causing the growing season to be warmer and wetter, and a warmer, wetter season means more insects and diseases,” Rothwell says. “It also means a more dramatic freeze-thaw period, which can affect our root stock.”

But Rothwell pauses and says it’s not really the farmers she’s worried about, as her farmers are, “some of the hardiest, most innovative folks around who thrive on solving problems like these.”

Rather, Rothwell says the big challenge lies in convincing “those above our pay grade” to get on board with what’s happening to our planet.

“Climate change is influencing agriculture,” Rothwell says. “But the bigger problem for us is convincing the government that the climate is changing and that the government needs to adjust agriculture policy to accommodate.”

No. 2: Tariffs Have Farmers in a “Wait and See” Limbo

When paired with robust domestic industrial policy, tariffs can be a powerful trade tool. But tariffs on their own can have devastating repercussions.

“Remember in the Trump administration’s first term when we had the first round of tariff battles?” Rothwell asks. “Washington State apple harvests that would have been exported to India stayed on the domestic market and flooded other states, including Michigan, which slashed demand for Michigan-grown apples. It’s increasingly looking like we may see something similar happen in the 2026 season.”

Rothwell also says she’s been hearing from farmers who’ve been unable to afford specialized irrigation equipment that they typically order from overseas, equipment that is not made in the U.S. and that is now astronomically expensive due to a constantly shifting tariff policy from D.C.

“And it’s not just farming equipment,” Rothwell adds. “On the distribution side, businesses are running up against barriers in the form of tariffs preventing them from ordering basic commodities like aluminum cans for cider and glass bottles for wine.”

No. 3: Labor Issues on the Rise

Northern Michigan agriculture relies heavily on seasonal migrant labor to do the hard work of planting, growing, and harvesting crops. Rothwell warns that heavy-handed immigration enforcement operations that are more interested in PR campaigns than in actually enforcing the law ultimately hurt northern Michigan farmers.

“We’re hearing from long-time migrant workers who have regularly returned to northern Michigan on legitimate work visas season after season,” says Rothwell. “They’re saying this year they’re just not going to come back, because they’re worried their rights will be violated. Michigan can’t attract legal migrant labor if the federal government is spending its time making the U.S. inhospitable to all migrants.”

No. 4: An Aging Farmer Population

Daniel Marbury is the program coordinator for Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting a thriving culture and community centered around farms. Marbury says a concern that folks in his organization share is the aging farmer population, i.e., the lack of young people entering the industry to take over for older, soon-to-retire farmers.

“But what can we expect?” Marbury says. “If farming is getting more and more difficult to do and it’s a questionable business endeavor in terms of profit and sustainability and farmers aren’t getting the support they need from the government, why would young folks want to invest the prime of their lives into what they see as a dubious career?”

Marbury indicates that attracting young people into agriculture requires federal, state, and local governments to enact legislation that supports farmers and, equally importantly, for communities to support local agriculture.

“When our civil system via government works hand-in-hand with communities to support farmers, young people see the industry as an attractive and rewarding career, not a doom spiral,” Marbury says.

No. 5: Where Is the Farm Bill?

The Farm Bill is a major, omnibus multi-year legislation that is renewed every five years to set U.S. policy for agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and forestry. The legislation is extremely broad and immensely important. It covers everything from nutritional support via the SNAP program to crop insurance and safety net programs for farmers to international trade regulations and conservation best practices.

At the time of this writing, the U.S. Congress is two years overdue in passing a new Farm Bill, as the last bill was signed into law on December 20, 2018.

“We need a farm bill that’s designed for the farmers,” emphasizes Marbury. “It is nothing short of negligence that Congress has been relying on piecemeal approvals and short-term funding stopgaps to get us through the past two years. Congress must pass a new Farm Bill in 2026.”

“The Farm Bill is the leading piece of formative legislation that governs how U.S. farmers will be supported, incentivized, and assisted in accomplishing the critical task of feeding not just America, but entire sectors throughout the world,” Marbury adds. “When politicians don’t prioritize the Farm Bill, they’re essentially neglecting the farmers of today and the farmers of tomorrow. The State of Michigan has done a lot to fill in the gaps and support Michigan agriculture, but without a federal mandate that includes guidelines, trade agreements, new policies, and subsidies, Michigan farmers are left in the dark.”

How to Support Local Farmers

“If you’re someone who eats food, there’s a lot you can do to support farms,” Marbury says with a grin.

1. Become a consumer advocate for local farms. Marbury says that farmers carry a deep connection to the land, making them conservationists in their own right. To ensure their economic sustainability, farmers should be supported not just by local community members buying their crops, but by families telling other families to support local farms.

2. Support groups that tap into collective farming knowledge. The backbone of Crosshatch is its workshops. The organization brings in farmers to give seminars to other farmers, building collective knowledge and using a community approach to overcome agricultural challenges.

3. Get farmers down to Lansing and Washington, D.C. Rothwell mentions this is essential to forcing policymakers to pass laws that benefit local small farmers and not just big-time political campaign donors.

4) Grants need our political attention. Rothwell also says that Specialty Crop Block Grants have finally been formalized by the federal government, which is a huge relief, as they had been held up indefinitely during the DOGE period. Such grants empower farmers to tackle specific issues such as disease prevention, germination research, and crop marketing tools.

5) Support organizations that are stepping up. Both Marbury and Rothwell indicated that when communities make agriculture a kitchen-table issue that everyone gets passionate about, farmers win. When farmers win, everyone gets fed…and fed well.

View On Our Website