06/26/2009
by Gary Truitt
The long awaited revision in the strategic plan of the State Department of Agriculture has been unveiled. The revisions were based on feedback from industry partners and research from Purdue‘s Dept of Agriculture Economics. The plan, which will guide the activities and programs of the department for the next 4 years, has three main priorities: Advocacy, “Serve as an advocate for Indiana agriculture at the local, state and federal level;” Economic Development, “Define and nurture economic opportunity, including technology development, in the food, fuel and fiber sectors,” and Environmental Stewardship, “Enhance the stewardship of natural resources on agricultural land in a manner that creates value-added opportunity for producers and assists agriculture stakeholders with current and future regulatory challenges.“ Making the ISDA an advocate for agriculture is a new concept admits Director Anne Hazlett, “I think we are the first in the nation to do this, but we can accomplish it because we do not have any major regulatory responsibilities.” She also told HAT that the strong support for agriculture by the Governor and Lt. Governor will serve as an example for the agency.
Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman says charging state government with being an advocate is necessary to meet the challenges facing the Indiana ag industry, “Very few Hoosiers have a real understanding of modern agriculture today, so we have to fill that void.” Skillman said the department will actively promote the interest of Indiana agriculture at the local, state, and federal levels. The plan specifically identifies “Assist in the coordination of advocacy efforts by industry stakeholders including development of unified message and implementation framework; facilitate a workgroup to bring industry partners together to discuss and coordinate action steps addressing regulatory issues in agriculture; cultivate relationships with federal decision makers by coordinating regular visits to Washington D.C. by a cross section of industry leaders.”
Hazlett said the environmental stewardship component will not put ISDA in competition with other state agencies such as IDEM or DNR, “We share the mission of protecting the environment, but they will handle the regulations and we will work to educate farmers about those regulations.” The plan identifies several programs in this area: “Advance a voluntary Crop Stewardship Certification Program that will showcase producers who have adopted an exceptional level of resource management in their operation; identify key regulatory challenges and a list of potential private sector partners to work with in addressing each of these issues; partner with private sector to address at least one challenge through increased adoption of new technology or resource management practices; create a steering committee for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program comprised of local, state and federal partners to maximize efficiency and effectiveness in program implementation, facilitate development of training programs, and coordinate promotion efforts.”
The first ISDA strategic plan, drafted in 2005, focused heavily on economic development in the livestock and bio-energy sectors. The revised plan continues this theme but expands it to other sectors of Indiana agriculture. “Governor Daniels and I are deeply committed to growth in Indiana agriculture,” said Lt. Governor Skillman. “From ethanol to food processing to hardwood furniture, agriculture is an industry that touches each and every Hoosier each and every day. We believe that the possibilities for Indiana agriculture are endless, and, with those possibilities comes progress in the form of jobs, capital investment, and wealth for rural Indiana.”
The economic development section calls for ISDA to: “ Maximize the production and encourage the use of energy in Indiana derived from agriculture resources, including wind, and position Indiana to attract a cellulosic biofuels production facility, Nurture economic opportunity for Indiana hardwood through marketing and technology support, Support a continued resurgence of Indiana’s livestock industry in an environmentally and economically-sustainable manner at a rate of 3 percent per year, expand and promote the availability of resources for agriculture entrepreneurs including: an on-line clearinghouse of entrepreneurial development information, resources and tools, an on-line agritourism guide, and an entrepreneur networking initiative.”
Lt. Governor Skillman presented the update to a gathering of industry representatives held at the Kelsay Dairy, a six generation dairy farm located in rural Johnson County. A complete copy of the plan can be found at www.in.gov/isda.
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You can listen to the presentation of the plan by Lt. Governor Skillman and Anne Hazlet at www.hatachat.net
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