By DAVE BLOWER JR.
Farm World Editor

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — As the saying goes, “a rolling stone gathers no moss” ... and Anne Hazlett just keeps rolling on.

Fresh from her last day as Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) on Oct. 2, Hazlett began her new role on Monday as chief counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry under ranking Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss in Washington, D.C.

“This has been the job opportunity of a lifetime; I knew that coming in,” Hazlett said from her downtown Indianapolis ISDA office last week. “I have been reminded of the tremendous leadership we have for agriculture here in Indiana.”

Although she will miss working with her fellow Hoosier farm leaders, Hazlett is eager for the federal farm policy battles on Capitol Hill.
“I want to continue to be a voice for agriculture in Washington, D.C.,” she said. “I felt like I could be more useful to our farmers if I went to Washington.”

There are many issues on Hazlett’s radar screen, a few include:
•Implementation of programs from the 2008 Farm Bill
•Debate regarding the creation of a single food safety agency
•Tightening of regulations for financial and commodity markets
•Discussing potential climate-change legislation
Hazlett said Washington politics can have an impact on the speed of farm-related policy debates. “For instance, the longer healthcare takes, the less likely it is that climate-change legislation will happen this year,” she explained.

Hazlett admitted that she enjoys working with Chambliss, who is from Georgia, because he has passion for agriculture. She added that most of the senators on the ag committee have an understanding of production agriculture.

She said farm policy debates shouldn’t turn into party-partisan arguments.

“It really comes down to ag versus, non-ag interests,” Hazlett stated.

Hoosier dairy producer Joe Kelsay is the ISDA’s new director. Hazlett said Kelsay will serve Indiana farmers well. She added that the transition to his leadership at ISDA began on Aug. 29 – the day Gov. Mitch Daniels appointed Kelsay to the post.

“The transition is going really well,” Hazlett said. “He’s coming in at an exciting time.”

Published on Oct. 7, 2009