Alabamian to lead state agriculture officials

Tuesday, September 23, 2008 4:55 PM CDT

BISMARCK - Alabama’s top state agriculture official is the new president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Ron Sparks was elected Tuesday, during NASDA’s 2008 annual meeting in Bismarck. Sparks succeeds North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson.

Michael Scuse, Delaware, was chosen first vice-president. Leonard Blackham, Utah, was elected second vice-president, and Adrian Polansky, Kansas, was elected secretary-treasurer.

During Tuesday’s meeting, NASDA members discussed a wide range of topics, mostly related to implementation of the 2008 Farm Bill, including country-of-origin labeling, interstate shipment of state-inspected meat products, specialty crops provisions and the permanent disaster program.

NASDA represents the commissioners, secretaries and directors of the departments of agriculture in the fifty states and four U.S. territories.

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