State Agency Overreach Harms Michigan’s Farms and Businesses

Originally published by The Detroit News

Michigan’s farmers and rural landowners are the backbone of the state’s economy and identity. They provide food, jobs, and a way of life that has helped define America’s heartland. At America First Policy Institute, we champion policies that put these producers first. But Michigan’s farmers argue that state agencies’ actions reveal a troubling pattern of flexing regulatory muscle rather than protecting the environment or supporting Michigan’s rural communities.

Barbara DeVries, owner of Caledonia Packing LLC, a small meat processor in Caledonia, Michigan, located on family-owned farmland, explains. In a letter dated June 16, 2025, to State Representatives Luke Meerman and Gina Johnsen, DeVries described how Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is strangling her business—and others like it—with burdensome industrial wastewater regulations.

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