By MEGGIE. I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor WHITELAND, Ind. — On June 25, Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman and Indiana Department of Agriculture Director Anne Hazlett presented an updated strategic plan that will help guide the Department’s focus during the next four years.
Skillman and Hazlett presented the update to a gathering of industry representatives at Kelsay Dairy, a six-generation dairy farm located in rural Johnson County, south of Indianapolis, Ind.
“As we look ahead to the future, we see bright opportunity for Indiana agriculture in new markets like cellulosic ethanol and locally grown foods coupled with great challenge in issues like hypoxia and climate change,” said Hazlett. “In both dynamics, however, there is a tremendous opportunity for Indiana to lead.”
Skillman outlined the key areas of refocus for the ISDA, which was created in 2005 to develop Indiana agriculture into a global leader in innovation and commercialization for food, fuel and fiber production. To accomplish the Department’s vision, ISDA intends to devote its resources to nine initiatives under three key strategies including advocacy, economic opportunity and environmental stewardship, said Skillman.
The advocacy strategy reflects the Department’s goal to serve as an advocate for Indiana agriculture at the local, state and federal level, explained Hazlett.
“Under the advocacy strategy lies three initiatives: outreach, regulatory coordination and policy development,” she added.
The outreach initiative will communicate and educate mainstream audiences about agriculture. The regulatory coordination translates into the ISDA serving as an advocate for regulatory standards, including land-use provisions that are based in science and will not impede economic development in agriculture. Finally, policy development will help the ISDA be an advocate for agriculture in the legislative process at the local, state and federal level, said Hazlett.
The economic opportunity strategy reflects the Department’s goal to “define and nurture economic opportunity, including technology development, in the food, fuel and fiber sectors serve as an advocate for Indiana agriculture at the local, state and federal level,” explained Hazlett.
Bioenergy, hardwoods, livestock, entrepreneurship and international trade round out the strategy’s top five initiatives.
Further explaining how the economic opportunity strategy will impact Indiana agriculture, Hazlett said the bioenergy initiative will hope 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.
The hardwoods initiative will develop the goal of nurturing economic opportunities for Indiana hardwoods through marketing and technology support.
The livestock initiative will support a continued resurgence of Indiana’s livestock industry in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner at a rate of 3 percent per year during the next 20 years. The previous goal of doubling pork production has been shelved in the event of an uneasy and volatile hog industry, although Skillman explained that “since the Department’s creation in 2005, all sectors of Indiana’s livestock industry have seen growth.”
The livestock initiative also hopes to expand participation in the Certified Livestock Producer Program by recruiting at least one livestock integrator to participate in the program and at least one processor to feature the program certification on their label.
Other initiatives under economic opportunity include entrepreneurship to nurture entrepreneurial development in the food, fuel and fiber sectors and international trade that will help define and nurture international relationships so as to increase sales from Indiana agriculture into global markets.
The environmental stewardship strategy reflects the Department’s goal to “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,” Hazlett said.
Further goals under this initiative hope to advance a voluntary Crop Stewardship Certification Program that will showcase producers who have adopted an exceptional level of resource management in their operation and 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.
“Gov. Daniels and I are deeply committed to growth in Indiana agriculture,” said 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.”
For more information about ISDA’s strategic update, visit www.in.gov/isda |
