The organization's primary goal is to promote and represent the interests of its agricultural members within the state of Michigan.
[2] The USFRA is a lobbying organization "of more than 80 farmer and rancher-led organizations and agricultural partners representing virtually all aspects of agriculture, working to engage in dialogue with consumers who have questions about how today’s food is grown and raised,"[3] and is funded by checkoff funds from the USDA and corporate sponsors including Monsanto and DuPont.
[4] The Michigan Farm Bureau was formed as an initial response to the tax situation in the early 1900s.
The motor car was changing the dynamics of transportation, and Michigan's residents demanded new and improved roads for their vehicles.
The state legislature determined that the best way to fund road improvements was through a tax levied on owners of land touching roadways.
After its formation, the Michigan Farm Bureau successfully lobbied for shifting this tax from land owners to purchasers of gasoline.
Residents of quarantined farms had the highest levels of the chemical and formed the base of 4,000 participants for the Michigan Long-Term PBB Study, now transferred to Georgia due to lack of funds.