Mike Cox is committed to preserving right to farm in Michigan. Both Michigan and Michigan's economy have grown with a healthy agricultural tradition. We must preserve Michigan's strong right to farm laws to protect and grow this important economic and cultural sector.

Farmers are stewards of the land and are some of the premier environmentalists in Michigan. As Governor, Mike Cox will ensure that farmers are not the target of unreasonable regulations. Mike Cox will work to establish a strong environmental farming practices certification program (The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program) and codify it into statute to protect farmers against environmental extremism and overzealous DEQ regulators.

Michigan farmers care deeply how farm animals are raised and cared for. Out-of-state ballot initiatives have created unreasonable standards in California and elsewhere. Such efforts here would threaten the agricultural industry and farming way of life while impeding progress on food safety. As Governor of Michigan, Mike Cox will oppose all unreasonable livestock condition initiatives that infringe upon farmers' rights to their livestock, adversely impacting efforts to ensure that safety.

Michigan needs to preserve farmland. Mike Cox will work to preserve farmland through tax incentives. Mike Cox supports the enhancement of property tax benefits for farms enrolled in the state's farmland preservation program (PA116) by offering greater access to the program and higher tax benefits for farmers in areas under pressure for development. This policy is also an excellent and low-cost way to preserve green space in Michigan and to ensure our farmers have the land they need.

Agriculture is a foundation of the Michigan economy. As Governor, Mike Cox will dramatically cut government spending; yet he also believes that some state programs have greater value than others. As a result, Cox guarantees the Michigan agriculture budget will remain a top priority. Mike Cox will restore critical funding for the Department of Agriculture programs to ensure food safety and to brand Michigan agricultural products. While the overall state budget must be cut, the Department of Agriculture is a relatively small department that produces big results. We must prioritize important sectors like agriculture to continue the success of Michigan farming.

As Governor, Mike Cox will ensure that the MEDC maintains a focus on agricultural industry economic development. Mike Cox will continue Michigan's support for agricultural processing Renaissance Zones and expand support for agricultural innovation grants.