The Exponent


04-21-2005	Previous edition: 04-20-2005

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Indiana creates Department of Agriculture

By Kaitlin Vanderpool
City Editor

Gov. Mitch Daniels will sign a bill establishing an Indiana Department of Agriculture on Monday, making the department official as of July 1.

The bill passed through the House 97-0 and passed through the Senate 48-0.

But one Indiana representative is unsure the bill is needed.

State Rep. Joe Micon, D-West Lafayette, voted in favor of the bill but said he is unsure the world of Indiana agriculture will change significantly for the better or worse after the bill is enacted.

"So much of Indiana’s role in agriculture has been so adequately performed by Purdue over the recent decades that I was not a huge advocate of this change," he said. "Basically I was of the philosophy ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’"

However, because Indiana was the only state in the union without an individual department of agriculture, the governor made a commitment to the Indiana Farm Bureau to establish one.

Although Micon is unsure of the bill’s necessity, he said he thinks Indiana will now have an appointed staff of officials who will give agriculture a little "extra visibility."

The bill will establish an Indiana commissioner of agriculture "that will help and be a partner with Purdue and farmers to promote what is a very important part of Indiana’s economy," Micon said.

The bill will also designate a secretary of agriculture and rural development in Indiana.

That secretary will be Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman.

Skillman said she was excited to see the bill passed with unanimous support.

"Creating the Department of Agriculture is our first step toward growing Indiana agriculture to a size and scope we’ve never known," Skillman said.

She said she is aware of the potential for agriculture in Indiana to thrive and said she is "ready to hit the ground running."

Randy Woodson, dean of the College of Agriculture at Purdue, is equally aware of the agricultural potential within the state.

He said the bill would be beneficial to Purdue because it focuses attention on Purdue as an area that brings science and technology to Indiana agriculture.

"I believe we will be a great partner for the Department of Agriculture," he said.

He said the most important point is that the state recognizes the value of Purdue to the Department of Agriculture.

"(The bill) will add a very strong voice for agriculture," Woodson said, "and that’s a good thing."

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Indiana creates Department of Agriculture

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City editor: Kaitlin Vanderpool

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