New Ag Director
New Ag Director. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.
NEWHOUSE: First day on the job the learning curve is pretty steep and I’m meeting a lot of new people and figuring out how the agency works but I’ve got some long term goals and interests in mind that I’m hoping to be able to get started on very soon. And also some directives I guess you could say from the executive branch and some of the interests that the Governor has as well for the department.
Already Newhouse has a laundry list that both he and the Governor had worked out.
NEWHOUSE: There’s quite a list of things not only to maintain and continue to fulfill the mission of the department which has to do with protecting public health through maintaining what would be a safe and sound food supply, safe uses of pesticides protecting us from different plant and animal diseases and in general facilitating the movement of agricultural products – those things I will be working on to continue our efforts in those areas.
Water management is also one of the top priorities. Newhouse comes from a farming background and says he will use that knowledge as he approaches the new position.
NEWHOUSE: I’m kind of an optimistic person because being a farmer you have to be I guess but as the state faces ways of reinventing and proving the way it delivers services, I’m hoping I can have an affect from an agency level on trying to make it easier for ag producers to respond and fulfill requirements that regulatory agencies put on them.
Newhouse was most recently a state representative and is candid about his knowledge of the new farm bill.
NEWHOUSE: Honestly Greg, I’m going to be working and hoping to get involved closer with the other states and other ag directors throughout the country and learning more about the farm bill and its effect on our states agricultural industry. As a state legislator that was probably one of the things that was highest on my radar screen so I’ve got some education to provide myself for to see just exactly where everything fits for our state there.
That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
