| Please describe a major change or accomplishment you would like to make if elected. | |
| Farmer | Williams |
| There are several: A. I will work to develop programs that will address the health care crisis in rural Kentucky, looking for ways to increase the availability of health care as well as its affordability. Additionally, I am unveiling a new program to use healthy farm products from Kentucky to help battle childhood obesity. B. I will continue to expand and strengthen my Kentucky Proud program, which is aimed at expanding markets for local farmers and local food companies, thereby strengthening the state’s economy as well as helping to improve the environment by cutting down on the average distance that food travels in Kentucky. C. I will seek greater funding for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s vital missions, including its consumer and environmental protection programs. D. I will strive to develop initiatives that will help the Commonwealth reach the goal of getting 25% of its energy from renewable energy sources, including biodiesel and ethanol, including cellulosic ethanol, as well as wind and solar power, by the year 2025. E. I will strive to continue using 50% of the proceeds from the master tobacco settlement for agricultural diversification. F. I will expand KDA’s export operation to attempt to build new markets for Kentucky agricultural and food products overseas, and will use the platform provided by the 2010 World Equestrian Games for that purpose. There are many more items on my second term agenda, but these six are among the top priorities I have for the next four years. | I think we should take the power away from the politicians and give it back to the farmers! |
| The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is a program being developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but is being left up to states to implement. Some people believe this program will make the U.S. food system safer and more secure by requiring that all commercial livestock be identified and monitored. Others fear that the program will be detrimental to a local agricultural economy and would favor the interests of corporate agribusiness. What is your position on the National Animal Identification System and how Kentucky should approach the program? | |
| Farmer | Williams |
| The stated goals behind NAIS are extremely important, as evidenced by recent outbreaks of animal disease overseas. At the same time, it is important that the interests of all producers are represented. That is why I believe that the NAIS should remain a strictly voluntary program (as it is now). The first phase of NAIS, the registration of farm premises, is underway now, and thousands of Kentucky farmers have opted in. However, KDA has no desire to force anyone to participate, and we do not believe that any phase of the program should be made mandatory. The broader issue of animal health is being addressed in other ways. KDA, working with the University of Kentucky and the animal industry, has invested considerable resources to help us better respond to potential animal health problems, and will continue to do so, regardless of the final disposition of the NAIS question. | I believe the National Animal Identification System will make the U.S. food system safer and more secure. The belief that this program would be detrimental to the local agriculture economy is unfounded. I am a major supporter of locally-grown, organic, foods. |
| Immigrants play an increasing role in Kentucky’s agricultural economy. What is your position on the current discussion around immigration policy as it relates to Kentucky’s farm community? | |
| Farmer | Williams |
| I believe that Federal immigration laws should be enforced. I also believe, however, that there must be some recognition of the need for producers to have a steady and legal source of farm labor. There has been a lot of shouting back and forth about these matters, but I believe that if we would all just listen more to each other, we can find a way to address both issues. For the last several months, I have been working with farm leaders from a broad range of agriculture organizations on a task force studying the future of agriculture in Kentucky. One issue that this group has been dealing with is the issue of how to build an agricultural labor force, and I look forward to their recommendations, which I expect by the end of the year. | Immigrants are extremely important to our national identity and the very future of the United States. Migrant farm workers have been involved in Kentucky and American agriculture for over a century. As Agriculture Commissioner, I will work to ease the ability for foreign nationals to live in Kentucky and eventually become productive, naturalized citizens of the United States. These immigrants enhance our culture and make our country stronger by increasing the size of our market, still the most profitable in the world. |
