09/28/06 A Chat with Valoria Part 1

A Chat with Valoria. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Valoria Loveland is a "can do" type of person. She is a former state senator, treasurer of Franklin County, WA and chair of the state`s Public Disclosure Commission. Loveland was appointed to serve as director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) in June 2002. And now she adds another title to her name. LOVELAND: I just got elected to be president of the National Association of Ag Directors, Commissioners and Secretaries. And with the 2007 Farm Bill coming up, I will have an opportunity to speak for all of agriculture in behalf of all 50 states so it's really exciting. I'm really looking forward to it. When asked what the position will mean Loveland was optimistic. LOVELAND: Well I think it means a lot, not just for our state and the Northwest but just in general with the 2007 Farm Bill coming up it gives a voice to all of agriculture. In Washington it's so diverse. We have everything from wheat crops to specialty crops and I think the only thing we don't grow in the state of Washington and I think we'll figure that out is citrus. So, a voice for all kinds of agriculture, both production and food processing; all of the things that are important to agriculture. Loveland will serve a one year term as the president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture or NASDA. She says that this is great opportunity to talk about agriculture and hopefully have some influence on the 2007 Farm Bill. LOVELAND: We're all representatives of all 50 states and all types of agriculture. And I know the United State Department of Agriculture attends all of our national meetings and we work in partnership with them. And of course it's going to be, the farm bill is primarily under the United States Department of Agriculture so I would say that we can be as influential as we are persuasive and representative. There are a lot of different groups who have interest in the farm bill. Rural Economic Development is inside the United State Department of Agriculture and that's part of the farm bill. A lot of people don't really know that but there's a number of programs and they are expanding on alternative energy like we are here in the state but across the United States taking some of the food and feed crops and dedicating them to alternative fuels. Tomorrow, Valoria Loveland talks about immigration and her upcoming trip to Taiwan & South Korea. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.