News

NASDA: agriculture is still growing

The past president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture says the ag industry is still growing despite its challenges.

Richard Ball, commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, says that’s why he chose “still growing” as the theme of the 2022 NASDA Annual Meeting.

“This is a theme that came from my farm. In agriculture, farmers sometimes go through tough weather, tough markets, and tough times and yet every day we keep growing. We take our losses, and we get back to work and we keep feeding people,” he says. “Our agricultural community over the last couple of years with the pandemic raging across the world kept growing. We’re still growing on our farms. we’re still growing personally and we’re trying to do a better job at our state department of agriculture at connecting our farmers with the community that we serve. And then I thought about NASDA and our relevance in Washington D.C. and around the world as we look at trade agreements and trade opportunities. I’m so proud to be part of this organization that is still growing. We’re still growing relevance and relationships we’re building with USDA, FDA, EPA, and the White House as well. Still Growing just felt like the right theme.”

He tells Brownfield the organization is uniquely positioned to address agricultural issues.  

“NASDA is nonpartisan, it’s agricultural, it’s boots on the ground, and it’s about growing our agricultural community and feeding people and getting the food through the food supply system to people who need it,” he says.

Ball says it was an honor to serve as NASDA’s 2021-2022 president and host members in New York for the annual meeting.

“To be with other commissioners, secretaries, and directors from around the country is a very special time for me. It was a great honor to be asked to serve as president,” he says. “What I’m going to take away is hundreds and hundreds of relationships and friendships and people you can rely on and reach out to anytime. I’m going to take away an experience of a lifetime.”

Ball will continue serving on NASDA’s Board of Directors as past president.

Audio – Brownfield interviewed Richard Ball during the annual meeting: