GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — No matter where you go in West Michigan, it's hard to miss the sheer number of farms.
According to the Michigan Farm Bureau, the state is one of the most agriculturally diverse in the nation, and its farmers the second-largest influencers on its economy.
And with roughly a quarter of the state's workforce being in the industry according to the Farm Bureau, farms have become a hot battleground in a number of key local races.
One of those is the race for the U.S. Senate.
"You know what we're looking for? We just need a team member in Washington, D.C. to help us make a difference," said State Sen. Roger Victory (R-Hudsonville).
The owner of Victory Farms, LLC, Victory made the comment to 13 ON YOUR SIDE at a roundtable event in late September between local farmers and GOP U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers.
"That's all we're asking for: a proactive team member to have our voice in Washington, D.C. so, that way, we can work hard, grow the crop and provide a healthy, nutritional diet for the American folks," Victory said.
And with some farmers signaling they're in need of help, many have looked to find a candidate to deliver.
It's made this industry a key voting bloc as senate candidates had been vying for the influential endorsement of AgriPAC, the political arm of the powerful Michigan Farm Bureau.
AgriPAC had endorsed now-retiring Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow for the seat in her last two bids for re-election.
"Senator Stabenow, as chairwoman of the Senate [Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry] has been masterful at getting Michigan crops. Michigan growers our specialty crops," Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) told 13 ON YOUR SIDE on Monday.
But where AgriPAC had Stabenow, they chose not to endorse Slotkin for this year's general election - despite Stabenow's hopes that Slotkin will replace her.
Instead, AgriPAC has now announced it would be backing former Rogers.
"We traveled the state, we've met dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens of farmers, and we did something unique: we listened to them," Rogers told 13 ON YOUR SIDE last week. "They have regulatory burdens and problems that placed on the last four years."
"They are crying for help," he later continued. "And we had people in Washington, D.C. the whole time apparently not paying attention. And so, what they want is somebody is going to go be a champion for them, somebody that's going to have their back."
In a race that expected to be as close and as vital to partisan control of Congress as this one, such an endorsement could very well make the difference.
Slotkin, however, who has touted roots in her family's farm in Holly and currently serves as the lone current member of Congress from Michigan on the House Committee on Agriculture, has remained stalwart that she understands the intricacies of the state's all-important agriculture.
At a separate event geared toward seniors and issues of social security and health coverage, the mid-Michigan congresswoman told reporters that completing work on what's widely known as the "farm bill" - a recurring bill package having provided key agriculture programs for decades - is a focus of hers.
"The way I see [agriculture] issues is, just as I said, we've got to get through this election," Slotkin said. "Everyone's sick of it. Everyone's ready to be done. But the minute we're done, we have from November until the end of December to get that farm bill done, that once-in-every-five-years piece of legislation."
But as at least some of a short-term version of the farm bill passed last year had been set to expire Monday, Rogers had sought to use the delay and possible lapse to encourage farmers that, regardless of the prospects of its timely renewal, he would get the job done over Slotkin in the future.
And as for the news of the AgriPAC endorsement, Slotkin remained seemingly determined to continue seeking the support of those in the industry without it.
"Look, it's political season," Slotkin said. "I look forward to working with anyone who's here to advocate for our farmers as soon as this election is done."