By Cameron Rudolph
MSU AgBioResearch
When state Sen. Roger Victory, 31st District, travels around the state, he wears two hats. Not literally, of course, although he typically does sport headwear that displays his affection for agriculture.
Prior to his election as a state senator in 2018, the Hudsonville native served for six years in the Michigan House of Representatives. Throughout his time in state government, he has also led Victory Farms LLC, a specialty crop operation, and Victory Sales LLC, a nationwide produce distributor. His passion for agriculture is one of the driving forces behind his work in the legislature.
“Some call me ‘Farmer Rog’ and some call me ‘Senator Rog,’ but I’d much rather go by ‘Farmer Rog,’” he said. “People appreciate farmers more than elected officials.”
During discussions with colleagues and constituents, Victory has noticed something encouraging.
“I’ve discovered there is a really deep desire for people to learn about agriculture and where their food comes from,” he said. “In Michigan, we’re blessed with diversity and more than 300 commodities. There’s a saying about how we’re the second-most diverse agricultural state in the country. I like to rephrase that as we’re the most diverse agricultural state with great access to water. That opens up so many possibilities for our farmers.”
Victory mentioned that conversations about agriculture with fellow legislators and Michigan residents are not limited to rural communities. In fact, he said, those from urban areas have at times expressed an even greater interest.
“I look at the legislative body, and I’m very enthused that people may be from an urban or rural area, but the passion is there,” he said. “Sometimes there’s an even higher interest in urban areas. I think the script has been flipped, especially in the last 10 years or so. Things like food awareness, food as medicine, this is the new narrative out there.
“We look at healthcare costs and how they’re escalating. One of the remedies for healthcare costs is what we can do on Michigan farms, providing a healthy and nutritious diet, and educating people about the benefits of that. I think the opportunity is huge for that education, and there’s an audience in the legislature and around the state that’s eager to hear the message.”
Victory highlighted research through Michigan State University AgBioResearch and outreach through MSU Extension as mechanisms to provide answers to large-scale problems. MSU AgBioResearch Director George Smith said legislative backing is crucial to those efforts.
“We’re dedicated to addressing many of the grand challenges facing society today - nutrition, food access, food security and agricultural sustainability - which also means workforce development to train students to work in agriculture,” Smith said. “To do that, we need support from growers, ranchers and producers, along with the State of Michigan. Sen. Victory has been a leading advocate for our work in these areas.”
As he gets older, Victory said he considers the next generation of farmers. He wants to ensure young people see a future in agriculture, and he believes research and outreach through MSU are essential.
“We have a concern about who is going to be that next generation in agriculture,” he said. “Is there an economic climate that attracts those young people? There has to be a financial reward for all of the hard work.
You have to be able to support your family. But I think we’re well-equipped in Michigan to deal with those issues through some of the programs at MSU.”
Project GREEEN and the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture (M-AAA) are two of the programs Victory pointed to as important state-funded initiatives moving agriculture forward. Both are partnerships among MSU, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and agriculture industry organizations.
Project GREEEN is in its 27th year of solving emerging plant agriculture problems with insects, diseases, weeds and other production challenges. M-AAA was created a decade ago to address needs in animal agriculture production, including mitigating disease pressures, improving animal welfare and bolstering workforce development.
Victory referenced an M-AAA project on behalf of the dairy industry that led to advancements in feeding strategies. MSU’s Adam Lock, a professor in the Department of Animal Science, found that by feeding dairy cattle a type of soybeans that are high in oleic acid, producers can cut feed costs and increase milk quality. A dairy farmer who partnered with Lock saw a more than $1-per-cow, per-day boost in income over feed cost.
“The reason I’m so passionate about these two funding streams is that they’re not ad hoc funding,” Victory said. “They’re dedicated streams that regardless of the budget cycle, traditionally they’ve been in play. The history of Project GREEEN speaks for itself, and M-AAA is something newer but has been showing results.
“Just as an example, if you look at the dairy industry and some of the new things there with feeding soybeans and how much it’s adding to the bottom line — those are real numbers that can make a difference between a producer being in business or out of business.”
To further this type of impactful research, Victory was instrumental in helping MSU secure a $53 million investment from the State of Michigan in 2022 that would fund the construction of the new MSU Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center, as well as new and renovated greenhouse facilities.
This funding is transformational for Michigan agriculture, Smith said, and it wouldn’t be possible without support from the agriculture community and the State of Michigan.
“It’s a real testament to what makes Michigan agriculture special, the partnerships and the entire agriculture community rallying behind this type of investment,” Smith said. “We had a lot of support downtown from the legislature, including Sen. Victory and many others, and we’re so appreciative of that.”
The team approach is something Victory mentioned as key to securing the funding, which he still marvels at today.
“There are some exciting times ahead at MSU,” Victory said. “This is an investment that can yield once-in-a-generation outcomes. It was a collaborative effort, and it was not easy. But we aligned ourselves with all of the stakeholders, and amazing things occurred. It’s one of those things that I still pinch myself when I drive by those facilities. But we have to be accountable for those dollars and deliver real value.”
Investments such as the new dairy facility and greenhouses are a catalyst for innovation and industry advancement, Victory said, meant to position MSU as a global leader in agriculture research and outreach.
“I have traveled the world, and many times MSU has come up, especially with agriculture,” Victory said. “I want to continue to see MSU as a game changer here in the state of Michigan, the nation and worldwide.
The issues MSU is dealing with are critical no matter where you live.”
Sen. Roger Victory is featured on a podcast with George Smith of MSU titled “Agricultural Impact Partnership: MSU and the Michigan Legislature.” You can see the podcast on the MSU AgBioResearch YouTube channel at youtube.com/watch?v=UcmBkMa6K3w.
MSU AgBioResearch
When state Sen. Roger Victory, 31st District, travels around the state, he wears two hats. Not literally, of course, although he typically does sport headwear that displays his affection for agriculture.
Prior to his election as a state senator in 2018, the Hudsonville native served for six years in the Michigan House of Representatives. Throughout his time in state government, he has also led Victory Farms LLC, a specialty crop operation, and Victory Sales LLC, a nationwide produce distributor. His passion for agriculture is one of the driving forces behind his work in the legislature.
“Some call me ‘Farmer Rog’ and some call me ‘Senator Rog,’ but I’d much rather go by ‘Farmer Rog,’” he said. “People appreciate farmers more than elected officials.”
During discussions with colleagues and constituents, Victory has noticed something encouraging.
“I’ve discovered there is a really deep desire for people to learn about agriculture and where their food comes from,” he said. “In Michigan, we’re blessed with diversity and more than 300 commodities. There’s a saying about how we’re the second-most diverse agricultural state in the country. I like to rephrase that as we’re the most diverse agricultural state with great access to water. That opens up so many possibilities for our farmers.”
Victory mentioned that conversations about agriculture with fellow legislators and Michigan residents are not limited to rural communities. In fact, he said, those from urban areas have at times expressed an even greater interest.
“I look at the legislative body, and I’m very enthused that people may be from an urban or rural area, but the passion is there,” he said. “Sometimes there’s an even higher interest in urban areas. I think the script has been flipped, especially in the last 10 years or so. Things like food awareness, food as medicine, this is the new narrative out there.
“We look at healthcare costs and how they’re escalating. One of the remedies for healthcare costs is what we can do on Michigan farms, providing a healthy and nutritious diet, and educating people about the benefits of that. I think the opportunity is huge for that education, and there’s an audience in the legislature and around the state that’s eager to hear the message.”
Victory highlighted research through Michigan State University AgBioResearch and outreach through MSU Extension as mechanisms to provide answers to large-scale problems. MSU AgBioResearch Director George Smith said legislative backing is crucial to those efforts.
“We’re dedicated to addressing many of the grand challenges facing society today - nutrition, food access, food security and agricultural sustainability - which also means workforce development to train students to work in agriculture,” Smith said. “To do that, we need support from growers, ranchers and producers, along with the State of Michigan. Sen. Victory has been a leading advocate for our work in these areas.”
As he gets older, Victory said he considers the next generation of farmers. He wants to ensure young people see a future in agriculture, and he believes research and outreach through MSU are essential.
“We have a concern about who is going to be that next generation in agriculture,” he said. “Is there an economic climate that attracts those young people? There has to be a financial reward for all of the hard work.
You have to be able to support your family. But I think we’re well-equipped in Michigan to deal with those issues through some of the programs at MSU.”
Project GREEEN and the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture (M-AAA) are two of the programs Victory pointed to as important state-funded initiatives moving agriculture forward. Both are partnerships among MSU, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and agriculture industry organizations.
Project GREEEN is in its 27th year of solving emerging plant agriculture problems with insects, diseases, weeds and other production challenges. M-AAA was created a decade ago to address needs in animal agriculture production, including mitigating disease pressures, improving animal welfare and bolstering workforce development.
Victory referenced an M-AAA project on behalf of the dairy industry that led to advancements in feeding strategies. MSU’s Adam Lock, a professor in the Department of Animal Science, found that by feeding dairy cattle a type of soybeans that are high in oleic acid, producers can cut feed costs and increase milk quality. A dairy farmer who partnered with Lock saw a more than $1-per-cow, per-day boost in income over feed cost.
“The reason I’m so passionate about these two funding streams is that they’re not ad hoc funding,” Victory said. “They’re dedicated streams that regardless of the budget cycle, traditionally they’ve been in play. The history of Project GREEEN speaks for itself, and M-AAA is something newer but has been showing results.
“Just as an example, if you look at the dairy industry and some of the new things there with feeding soybeans and how much it’s adding to the bottom line — those are real numbers that can make a difference between a producer being in business or out of business.”
To further this type of impactful research, Victory was instrumental in helping MSU secure a $53 million investment from the State of Michigan in 2022 that would fund the construction of the new MSU Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center, as well as new and renovated greenhouse facilities.
This funding is transformational for Michigan agriculture, Smith said, and it wouldn’t be possible without support from the agriculture community and the State of Michigan.
“It’s a real testament to what makes Michigan agriculture special, the partnerships and the entire agriculture community rallying behind this type of investment,” Smith said. “We had a lot of support downtown from the legislature, including Sen. Victory and many others, and we’re so appreciative of that.”
The team approach is something Victory mentioned as key to securing the funding, which he still marvels at today.
“There are some exciting times ahead at MSU,” Victory said. “This is an investment that can yield once-in-a-generation outcomes. It was a collaborative effort, and it was not easy. But we aligned ourselves with all of the stakeholders, and amazing things occurred. It’s one of those things that I still pinch myself when I drive by those facilities. But we have to be accountable for those dollars and deliver real value.”
Investments such as the new dairy facility and greenhouses are a catalyst for innovation and industry advancement, Victory said, meant to position MSU as a global leader in agriculture research and outreach.
“I have traveled the world, and many times MSU has come up, especially with agriculture,” Victory said. “I want to continue to see MSU as a game changer here in the state of Michigan, the nation and worldwide.
The issues MSU is dealing with are critical no matter where you live.”
Sen. Roger Victory is featured on a podcast with George Smith of MSU titled “Agricultural Impact Partnership: MSU and the Michigan Legislature.” You can see the podcast on the MSU AgBioResearch YouTube channel at youtube.com/watch?v=UcmBkMa6K3w.
Lobbyists Spent Record Amount On Free Meals For Lawmakers
(Ed. Note: This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. Visit the newsroom online: bridgemi.com.)
By Simon D. Schuster
Bridge Michigan
Lobbyists spent a record amount of money providing free food and drink for Michigan’s lawmakers in 2025, according to disclosure data analyzed by Bridge Michigan.
Advocates for special interests in Lansing itemized spending more than $485,000 wining and dining with legislators and members of the executive branch in 2025.
More than $180,000 was spent toward meals with individual legislators, a record amount and nearly $40,000 more than was spent in 2024, the next-highest year.
Rep. Joseph Aragona, a Clinton Township Republican, received the most reported free meals from lobbyists, with $12,508 spent on him for food and beverages throughout 2025. If a lobbyist had bought Aragona lunch all 365 days in 2025, that would average to more than $34 per meal.
Aragona didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Bridge Michigan.
Next behind Aragona in 2025 meals was Rep. Pauline Wendzel, R-Bainbridge Township, for whom a reported $9,783 was spent; then Spring Lake Republican Rep. Greg VanWoerkom reportedly received at least $8,504 in free meals.
Which lawmakers received free meals, and how much was spent on them, however, isn’t publicly available due to ongoing issues with the state’s year-old Michigan Transparency Network, which is the portal used to view the reports. The Michigan Department of State provided Bridge Michigan with more complete data that included lawmakers’ names.
The total is a significant increase over recent years, when the highest reported totals legislators took in free meals rarely topped $6,000. In prior years the recipients of free meals, such as former Reps. Brandt Iden and Jim Lilly, later became lobbyists after leaving office, advocating for industries they supported as lawmakers.
Spending on food for officials in group settings — where individual lawmakers don’t have to be named — topped $300,000, close to the record amount spent in 2023.
Rep. Dylan Wegela, a Garden City Democrat, said the spending “just shows what’s wrong with our politics today.” He estimated he’s taken less than $250 in total from lobbyist lunches in his three years he’s spent in the state House.
“This is just a fraction of the money that’s spent that you can see,” Wegela said in an interview. “Personally, I do think it buys some level of influence.”
While lobbyists have to report the total amount they spend on gifted meals, for the most part who is benefitting from the free food and drink remains hidden. That total amount, which included unitemized spending, is likely considerably higher, but totals of that spending are no longer publicly available.
That’s because lobbyists only have to name who they’ve been treating if they spend more than $79 on that official in a given month, or more than $500 over a six-month span. It means that the total lobbyists report spending on food and drink is often significantly higher than the spending they report with named recipients.
Multiclient lobbying firms — who each represent dozens of companies and industry groups — are the big spenders on perks for lawmakers in Michigan. Just four firms made up more than half of all the reported food and drink spending for individual lawmakers in Michigan.
Michigan’s lobbying law, however, doesn’t require multiclient lobbyists to report who they were lobbying on behalf of when taking lawmakers out to lunch, leaving the public in the dark about the motivations behind those meals.
Rep. Bill Schuette, a Midland Republican who received the fourth-most itemized spending in the state — $7,611 — said reporting meal spending isn’t often discussed when out to lunch.
“Sometimes when I go out to lunch or something, I’ll just offer to pay and they will say, ‘you saved me from doing a disclosure,’” he told Bridge.
Lobbyists also have to disclose if they spend more than $1,050 for an official’s travel and lodging. Disclosure records show the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association — one of the state’s most prolific political donors — paid about $9,600 for three lawmakers to be convention speakers in February 2025.
Aragona, Democratic Rep. Will Snyder of Muskegon and Sen. Mark Huizenga, a Walker Republican, all reportedly spoke at the event.
The reported dates coincide with a confab the organization held at the five-star luxury hotel Ritz-Carlton on the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. The event promised “four days of valuable business sessions, essential governance meetings, networking events and time to unwind in paradise.”
Rooms in the hotel start at $1,000 a night, and the $4,574 reportedly spent for Aragona’s travel and lodging was the largest reported single travel expense in more than a decade in Michigan’s lobbying system.
—————
Lobbying portal issues
It’s difficult to make apples-to-apples comparisons of lobbyists’ spending as the year-old Michigan Transparency Network, or MiTN, continues to be plagued by serious issues.
About three-fourths of the publicly available data on itemized lobbying spending — where lobbyists have to name the beneficiary of their spending and its purpose — is blank when viewed by the public and has no name listed.
Department of State spokesperson Angela Benander told Bridge “the data is in the system but not displaying” and they expect a fix to be implemented by the contractors that built the system this weekend.
The beleaguered network had been rife with problems since it launched about a year ago, as officials and candidates struggled to file personal financial disclosures, campaign finance statements and lobbying reports.
Tyler Technologies, a Texas firm that was the sole qualified bidder for the $9 million contract, has struggled to follow through on project goals touted by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Lobbyists told Gongwer News Service ahead of the Jan. 31 filing deadline that they were still struggling to use the system, encountering unexpected errors and that the filing process had become more difficult over time, not easier.
Information available to the public also appears to have been reduced. Some details, such as the total lobbying firms spend over a given period, could previously be easily downloaded in the old system. That is no longer the case.
By Simon D. Schuster
Bridge Michigan
Lobbyists spent a record amount of money providing free food and drink for Michigan’s lawmakers in 2025, according to disclosure data analyzed by Bridge Michigan.
Advocates for special interests in Lansing itemized spending more than $485,000 wining and dining with legislators and members of the executive branch in 2025.
More than $180,000 was spent toward meals with individual legislators, a record amount and nearly $40,000 more than was spent in 2024, the next-highest year.
Rep. Joseph Aragona, a Clinton Township Republican, received the most reported free meals from lobbyists, with $12,508 spent on him for food and beverages throughout 2025. If a lobbyist had bought Aragona lunch all 365 days in 2025, that would average to more than $34 per meal.
Aragona didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Bridge Michigan.
Next behind Aragona in 2025 meals was Rep. Pauline Wendzel, R-Bainbridge Township, for whom a reported $9,783 was spent; then Spring Lake Republican Rep. Greg VanWoerkom reportedly received at least $8,504 in free meals.
Which lawmakers received free meals, and how much was spent on them, however, isn’t publicly available due to ongoing issues with the state’s year-old Michigan Transparency Network, which is the portal used to view the reports. The Michigan Department of State provided Bridge Michigan with more complete data that included lawmakers’ names.
The total is a significant increase over recent years, when the highest reported totals legislators took in free meals rarely topped $6,000. In prior years the recipients of free meals, such as former Reps. Brandt Iden and Jim Lilly, later became lobbyists after leaving office, advocating for industries they supported as lawmakers.
Spending on food for officials in group settings — where individual lawmakers don’t have to be named — topped $300,000, close to the record amount spent in 2023.
Rep. Dylan Wegela, a Garden City Democrat, said the spending “just shows what’s wrong with our politics today.” He estimated he’s taken less than $250 in total from lobbyist lunches in his three years he’s spent in the state House.
“This is just a fraction of the money that’s spent that you can see,” Wegela said in an interview. “Personally, I do think it buys some level of influence.”
While lobbyists have to report the total amount they spend on gifted meals, for the most part who is benefitting from the free food and drink remains hidden. That total amount, which included unitemized spending, is likely considerably higher, but totals of that spending are no longer publicly available.
That’s because lobbyists only have to name who they’ve been treating if they spend more than $79 on that official in a given month, or more than $500 over a six-month span. It means that the total lobbyists report spending on food and drink is often significantly higher than the spending they report with named recipients.
Multiclient lobbying firms — who each represent dozens of companies and industry groups — are the big spenders on perks for lawmakers in Michigan. Just four firms made up more than half of all the reported food and drink spending for individual lawmakers in Michigan.
Michigan’s lobbying law, however, doesn’t require multiclient lobbyists to report who they were lobbying on behalf of when taking lawmakers out to lunch, leaving the public in the dark about the motivations behind those meals.
Rep. Bill Schuette, a Midland Republican who received the fourth-most itemized spending in the state — $7,611 — said reporting meal spending isn’t often discussed when out to lunch.
“Sometimes when I go out to lunch or something, I’ll just offer to pay and they will say, ‘you saved me from doing a disclosure,’” he told Bridge.
Lobbyists also have to disclose if they spend more than $1,050 for an official’s travel and lodging. Disclosure records show the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association — one of the state’s most prolific political donors — paid about $9,600 for three lawmakers to be convention speakers in February 2025.
Aragona, Democratic Rep. Will Snyder of Muskegon and Sen. Mark Huizenga, a Walker Republican, all reportedly spoke at the event.
The reported dates coincide with a confab the organization held at the five-star luxury hotel Ritz-Carlton on the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. The event promised “four days of valuable business sessions, essential governance meetings, networking events and time to unwind in paradise.”
Rooms in the hotel start at $1,000 a night, and the $4,574 reportedly spent for Aragona’s travel and lodging was the largest reported single travel expense in more than a decade in Michigan’s lobbying system.
—————
Lobbying portal issues
It’s difficult to make apples-to-apples comparisons of lobbyists’ spending as the year-old Michigan Transparency Network, or MiTN, continues to be plagued by serious issues.
About three-fourths of the publicly available data on itemized lobbying spending — where lobbyists have to name the beneficiary of their spending and its purpose — is blank when viewed by the public and has no name listed.
Department of State spokesperson Angela Benander told Bridge “the data is in the system but not displaying” and they expect a fix to be implemented by the contractors that built the system this weekend.
The beleaguered network had been rife with problems since it launched about a year ago, as officials and candidates struggled to file personal financial disclosures, campaign finance statements and lobbying reports.
Tyler Technologies, a Texas firm that was the sole qualified bidder for the $9 million contract, has struggled to follow through on project goals touted by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Lobbyists told Gongwer News Service ahead of the Jan. 31 filing deadline that they were still struggling to use the system, encountering unexpected errors and that the filing process had become more difficult over time, not easier.
Information available to the public also appears to have been reduced. Some details, such as the total lobbying firms spend over a given period, could previously be easily downloaded in the old system. That is no longer the case.
