Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell named Todd Haymore, current Agriculture Commissioner, as the incoming Secretary of Agriculture , succeeding Bob Bloxom, the state’s first Ag Secretary and one of the most genuinely public-spirited individuals in Virginia.
I’ve known Todd for a number of years and have always been extremely impressed with him- he’s very smart, very hard working, an excellent communicator and just a first rate individual.
Perhaps most importantly, he’ll be an excellent spokesperson for the interests of a critically important business sector that sometimes doesn’t receive the attention that it should within Virginia’s urban crescent.
Haymore assumes office at a crucially important time for agriculture. In the last year, a growing rift has taken place between agriculture and the environmental regulatory thrust at both the national and state levels.
I’ve recently spoken to a number of individuals in the Virginia agriculture community who have become genuinely worried that the political opposition to farming practices- from certain parts of the environmental movement, from animal rights activists, and from international competitors in a more relaxed regulatory environment- could have a very negative impact on the sustainability of their industry.
I’ve had a sense for some time that we need to see agriculture not just as Virginia’s largest industry in terms of total dollar amount, but as a key component of the regional economic development strategies in most parts of Virginia. The Post, for example, recently ran a very perceptive story about the growing importance of specialized, small-scale farming in areas within NOVA.
If Haymore can work to bridge the unfortunate yet growing gap between between farmers and environmentalists (both of whom have commitments to long-term sustainability), help to position agriculture more centrally within economic development strategies, and enhance the knowledge that urbanites and suburbanites have of Virginia agriculture, he could make a genuine long-term contribution to the good of the Commonwealth.
The biggest threat to farming in Virginia is not environmental conflict, but taxation policy at the local government level. Of course, this is made worse by every unfunded mandate passed down to local governments by the state. BKD