On November 5th, 2025, the Michigan State University Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics held a farm labor conference to investigate labor challenges that domestic agricultural employers and employees are facing, discuss potential solutions, and provide Michigan's agricultural stakeholders with information and resources to help address these challenges. The conference was sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture's Office of the Chief Economist (award number 58-0111-24-005), the Stephen B. and Karen L. Harsh Agribusiness Outreach Endowment, the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture (M-AAA project ID number AA-23-002), and the Elton R. Smith Chair in Food and Agricultural Policy.2 One hundred and twenty individuals registered for the conference and roughly 100 guests attended in person. The conference brought together academics, government officials, industry professionals, and stakeholders to discuss farm labor issues and potential policy solutions. The major themes of the conference were (1) agricultural labor shortages and mitigation strategies, (2) the H-2A visa program’s Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs), and (3) farm employee housing and working conditions. A diverse set of speakers provided local and national expertise, with presenters from universities around the country, Michigan farmers, industry groups, and state government officials. A short summary of each speaker’s presentation can be found on the following pages.
