While Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels was making headlines last week with the Purdue presidential announcement, those who wish to succeed his administration were busy on the campaign trail. That trail took republican Mike Pence’s running mate to the Plymouth area to meet with farmers on the Purdue Farm Management Tour.
Current State Representative Sue Ellspermann told HAT their administration would be farmer friendly.
“In the Department of Ag I would say more of the same and growing on the success that Lt. Governor Skillman has begun. We want to continue to make this an ag friendly state. We want to grow agriculture to the benefit of Indiana farmers and to feed the world, as it were. So I think you will see more of the same and I am very open to the ideas of farmers in the ag community on how we continue to move forward in a productive way.”
Skillman, as Secretary of Agriculture for the state, has made numerous overseas trips to promote Indiana agricultural products, and Lt. Governor candidate Ellspermann envisions similar trade missions.
“As you know ag is a very important industry to Indiana and, just as all industries that create value added goods for the rest of the world, we’ll want to promote those in Indiana, in the United States, and across the world. So I would fully expect to continue that. Economic development is one of my highest priorities and we need to grow the markets in order to create the job creation moving forward.”
Pence recently presented a plan to make career, technical and vocational education a priority in every Indiana high school. Ellspermann says they’re looking at ideas to include a customized agriculture portion of that plan.
“I think the vocational tech approach that we’re promoting is one that’s been needed, and industry has said that. And I think in agriculture as well there are opportunities to make sure that we’re filling the voids and having the best qualified works and owners of ag businesses out there.”[audio:https://www.hoosieragtoday.com//wp-content/uploads//2012/06/Sue-Ellspermann-talks-ag.mp3|titles=Sue Ellspermann talks ag]
(Photo provided: Mike Pence for Indiana campaign)