Who will lead in the next farm bill debates?

Excerpt

How can conservation issues, and the funding necessary to address them, be brought to a higher profile with the public?

Unfortunately, instead of being concerned about conservation, most environmental groups have moved on to other concerns, focusing primarily on water quality in relation to pesticides and nutrients, and of course, endangered species. These issues are far easier to visually energize the public played on prime time TV than “common, ordinary conservation.” There are no dynamic individuals pushing the conservation agenda forward.

“Ordinary conservation” depends on the quality of conservation leadership over the next two years as we work toward the most likely vehicle for conservation improvement—the 2002 farm bill adoption.

I served as Indiana's Director of Agriculture from 1993–1994. In that role I was affiliated with the National State Department of Agriculture (NASDA). During that time, NASDA, as an organization, decided to become more actively involved in the 1995 farm bill debate.

Historically NASDA hadn't played a significant role in the process, often acting only as a supporter of agricultural interests related to federal policy. However, there was an expressed desire on the part of the directors …