Barack Obama

President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday Jan. 28, 2014.

((AP Photo/Charles Dharapak))

Update: This post has been updated with information confirmed by the White House.

LANSING — President Barack Obama plans to sign the Farm Bill during his visit to East Lansing on Friday, the White House has confirmed.

Obama is expected to give remarks at Michigan State University's Mary Anne McPhail Equine Performance Center on Friday afternoon. He'll discuss the Farm Bill's importance to the economy.

"The President will see firsthand the research that institutions like MSU are doing to create jobs and drive innovation that benefits farmers, ranchers, our rural communities, and our nation as a whole," according to a White House news release.

The Senate on Tuesday passed the Farm Bill, a comprehensive funding package for agriculture and food assistance programs. Obama praised the passage of the bill, saying it would create new jobs and protect the most vulnerable Americans.

"This bill provides certainty to America's farmers and ranchers, and contains a variety of common sense reforms that my Administration has consistently called for, including reforming and eliminating direct farm subsidies and providing assistance for farmers when they need it most," Obama said in a statement.

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat and chair of the Senate's agricultural committee, has spent much of the past three years leading the charge on passing a five-year farm bill - perhaps another reason Obama has chosen Michigan for the signing.

Stabenow has said Michigan is on "every page of the bill," including insurance for the state's numerous tart cherry and apple growers.

"I’m very proud to say he’s going to sign it at my alma mater, Michigan State University on Friday," Stabenow said during a call with reporters. "This is a very exciting day and I welcome that the president is committed to agriculture in America ... and the research that we certainly exemplify at Michigan State."



Obama also may discuss the need for immigration reform. At least five farmers from throughout the state were invited to meet with Obama on Friday. The Michigan Farm Bureau was contacted by the White House to help find a small group of farmers who are strong advocates for immigration reform, said Ryan Findlay, national legislative counsel for the Delta Township-based trade group.

Email Melissa Anders at manders@mlive.com. Follow her on Google+ and Twitter: @MelissaDAnders. Download the MLive app for iPhone and Android.