In a response published by the newspaper, Jack Laurie, president of the Michigan Farm Bureau, said Mr. Litman's critique was deeply flawed. He added that assuring adequate food supplies for a growing population depends on having enough land to grow crops. The debate over rural land protection is a volatile mix of policy, economics, and culture. And no group is more in conflict than the farmers themselves. On the other hand, many farmers recognize the need for new public policies to help end the peril to their way of life and Michigan's valuable farm economy from current land-consuming trends.
Some farmers are ready to cash in for retirement.
The young farmers want to keep farming. Meanwhile the land is being fragmented by low-density housing. We've got to fix it. Last September, Public Sector Consultants, a Lansing-based policy research firm, found new evidence that voters are ready to do just that. About 800 residents statewide, representing a cross section of income and education levels, were asked in a survey about their attitudes toward sprawl.