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| Hazlett: Indiana is marvelous production agriculture engine |
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Dear agriculture partner,
On Aug. 29, Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman announced a transition in leadership at the Indiana State Department of Agriculture as I am returning to Washington D.C. later this fall to serve Indiana agriculture on Capitol Hill.
I write to express my sincere gratitude for the support you have given me in my role as the Indiana Agriculture Director and to share my excitement about our opportunities to work together in my new position.
From Indiana Farm Bureau to our hardwood companies to the various livestock organizations and their members and countless others, I have learned a great deal from and been inspired by you as Director. In this role, I have been blessed with the chance to see the tremendous engine we have in this state in production agriculture - in everything from pigs and chickens to melons to corn and soybeans.
I have witnessed and marvel at the innovation and global leadership that we have in our agribusiness sector - in the products made, research and development activity conducted, and in the role played in shaping agriculture policy. And, lastly, I have experienced firsthand what is possible when agriculture comes together in a unified manner to tell its story - the story of what we contribute to each day to the lives of each and every Hoosier and to the economic well-being of our state’s economy.
Next month, I will go to Washington to serve as Chief Counsel for the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee under ranking member Senator Saxby Chambliss. This decision is without a doubt one of the toughest I have ever made in large part due to the people I get to work with each day as the Indiana Agriculture Director.
With that said, however, there are several key issues in Washington right now that pose a significant threat to the continued prosperity of American agriculture - and Indiana - from climate change to the federal government’s jurisdiction over water to animal welfare and beyond.
I believe that agriculture has the ultimate guardian in Gov. Daniels and Lt. Gov. Skillman here in Indiana - and believe that the need for this same advocacy in Washington is growing exponentially.
Joe Kelsay, a sixth-generation dairy farmer, will serve as the next Agriculture Director. With his tireless passion for agriculture, entrepreneurial spirit, and direct production knowledge, Joe is well-prepared to lead the Department as a powerful voice for our industry. I am very much looking forward to watching the growth of Indiana agriculture under his leadership and to this new opportunity to be a voice for each of you in Washington.
With sincere gratitude,
Anne Hazlett
Indiana Agriculture Director |
| 9/9/2009 |
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