Michigan Voters Worry Farm Costs Will Hit Households

A Public Policy Polling survey for Progress Michigan finds rising farm costs are a concern for nearly all surveyed voters.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Agriculture

Weathered unmarked tractor and rusted equipment shed on a flat Michigan farm field under a pale overcast sky. — Michigan farmers say tariffs are raising diesel, fertilizer, and equipment costs while lowering crop prices, as 95% of surveyed voters worry about household impacts. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you expect farm costs to raise your household's grocery and goods prices?

A poll found 95% of surveyed Michigan voters are concerned that rising farm costs could affect household expenses. Michigan diesel prices reached a record $6.89 a gallon in September before easing to $6.71 a gallon.

Why it matters

Higher costs for diesel, fertilizer, and equipment are being linked to tariffs that raise farmers' input prices while reducing what they receive for crops. The concern extends beyond farms to the household budgets of Michigan residents.

A survey of Michigan voters found 95% are concerned about rising farm costs, while diesel prices hit a record $6.89 a gallon in September before dropping to $6.71. The poll does not indicate whether those price levels will persist.

The players

Public Policy Polling

A polling firm that conducted the survey of Michigan voters on farm cost concerns.

Progress Michigan

A progressive advocacy organization that commissioned the poll on farm costs.

Dennis Kellogg

A soybean farmer from Ithaca, Michigan, who is calling for trade relationships to be rebuilt and for changes to the Right to Farm Act.

The details

Soybean farmer Dennis Kellogg of Ithaca, Michigan, says tariffs are raising the prices farmers pay for supplies while lowering what they receive for crops. Farmers are postponing equipment replacements and building repairs as a result, and Kellogg wants lawmakers to revisit the Right to Farm Act and rebuild trade relationships with Canada, Mexico, and the European Union.

September 2026: Michigan diesel prices hit a record $6.89 a gallon.
November 2, 2026: The poll on farm cost concerns was published.

Market Landscape

Michigan's Right to Farm Act, which shields agricultural operations from certain nuisance claims, is now being cited by at least one farmer as worth revisiting amid tariff pressures. Farmers' trade exposure to Canada, Mexico, and the European Union is central to the cost squeeze described in the poll.

Higher diesel and fertilizer costs can flow through to grocery and food prices that Michigan households pay. The poll suggests that most voters already anticipate these household cost increases.

The takeaway

Michigan households may feel farm cost increases at the grocery store, so tracking diesel prices and trade policy developments can help set expectations for food budgets.