Barrett and Trump’s Energy Crisis is Devastating Michigan Farmers
By State Rep. Emily Dievendorf, 77th MI House District
Michigan farmers are hurting. The costs of diesel and fertilizer are skyrocketing thanks to Trump’s war in Iran—and that’s after steep tariff hikes and the cancellation of tax credits that funded rural energy projects. Republicans like Rep. Tom Barrett should have to answer for their support of policies that have made it harder for our farmers to make a living.
At an event in East Lansing, mid-Michigan farmer Mark Zacharda put it this way, “Since this war of choice in Iran was started, nitrogen fertilizer costs are up 40 percent. 40 percent. So when we were already looking at a situation where we were just hoping to scrape by, it’s looking like another year to be in the red.”
I’ve seen it myself in talking to farmers and families that live in my state house district. That’s why I’ve sponsored and passed legislation into law like the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, to ensure small family farms can be handed down to the next generation. If Michigan is to be known as the state that “makes things and grows things” we must support large and small farmers, and urban and rural farmers, in their efforts to enter the agricultural field and we must give farmers the tools to succeed in putting food on our tables and growing our economy.
We can do all of this with the future in mind. Michigan farmers, as primary stewards of our land and our health, want to protect our state’s natural resources and are doing their best. However, state and federal legislators could make this easier.
Recently, the Michigan State Senate Energy Committee convened to hear directly from farmers and businesses impacted by the cancellation of clean energy resources for rural communities. Kyle de Beausset, manager of Westcroft Gardens and Farm – the oldest family owned and operated farm in the state of Michigan established on July 6, 1776 – explained why this reversal was so painful to them, “We liked it because it would reduce our operating costs and improve the long-term sustainability of the property and help ensure that a farm that survived for almost 250 years could continue to be viable.”
That’s what’s at stake here. Michigan farms employ 98,000 workers and contribute more than $74 billion annually to the state’s economy. This is a huge segment of our economy that is at risk because Republicans are putting allegiance to Trump and partisan talking points ahead of what’s best for his constituents.
Rep. Tom Barrett voted to further restrict domestic energy options by gutting clean energy production through the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” last summer, taking energy off the grid at a time when demand is soaring thanks to extreme heat and data centers. Despite Barrett’s claims, clean energy produced right here in Michigan is actually more affordable for everyone, including farmers.
And farmers can’t afford to wait until Election Day for prices to drop. The average price of fertilizer nationally has increased by up to 45%. Experts warn that prices could remain higher than their pre-war price into 2028, even if the Strait of Hormuz opens soon and remains open. For farmers operating on tight margins, these spikes aren’t just inconvenient; they are make-or-break moments.
The average farmer could pay $22,000 more this season due to skyrocketing costs. A recent survey found that 48% of Midwest farmers can’t afford all the fertilizer they need, while 6 in 10 farmers said their farm’s financial outlook was getting worse.
When asked whether Americans’ economic pain factors into his decisions about his war in Iran, Trump said, “not even a little bit.” But maybe it should: 63% of Michigan voters believe Trump is to blame for higher energy prices and only 37% of American adults approve of Trump’s job performance.
These rising costs don’t stop at the farm gate. Rep. Barrett was recently in Lansing with Trump officials announcing more loans for DTE, a utility company that has relentlessly raised rates, paid no federal income taxes in 12 years, and donated thousands to Barrett’s reelection campaigns. That’s not the kind of representation farmers or any of us deserve. We need a champion in Congress who will tell the truth about energy affordability and stand up to the corporations and the Trump administration that are holding farmers back.
