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Suzanne Crouch and Christina Hale express their views about agriculture.

Tom Bechman 1, Editor, Indiana Prairie Farm

August 26, 2016

2 Min Read

Neither Suzanne Crouch, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, nor Christina Hale, the Democratic candidate, are at a loss for words when asked about their views on agriculture. It’s an important question because both want to be Indiana’s next secretary of agriculture.

Here are comments both made when given time to address any topic of their choosing related to their potential role as secretary of agriculture and rural development. 

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Crouch: The discussion needs to start with infrastructure. As state auditor, I have visited all 92 counties in Indiana, and have come to recognize the importance of infrastructure wherever I go. We must not rest until we have found a permanent solution for infrastructure in this state. Infrastructure also includes broadband and access to internet. That is especially important to rural areas.

I also know that rural communities need economic development opportunities, and flexibility to realize those opportunities. We all need to work on this together. We don’t need more government; we need less government. Our state agencies [that farmers interact with] must be customer-friendly. Regulations need to be uniform and consistent.

The answer to the challenges facing Indiana agriculture and rural communities is not in government. It’s not government that makes Indiana great. It’s the people within Indiana that make this a great state.

Hale: We need to change the conversation to the public about agriculture. Agriculture is business. Agriculture is impact [on our economy], and agriculture is opportunity. We need to double-down on infrastructure issues in rural Indiana, especially in regards to broadband.

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Agriculture is also a pillar of our economy here in Indiana. John Gregg and I feel we can work within this area and help. We know we need uniform regulations [so people in agriculture know what to expect]. We also know we need to focus on the youth pipeline and keep talented young people in agriculture at home here in Indiana.

We know there are a lot of challenges in rural Indiana to address. We hope to have the opportunity to work with local officials and make improvements in these areas. We are also committed to making sure government gets out of the way when it makes sense to do so.

About the Author(s)

Tom Bechman 1

Editor, Indiana Prairie Farm

Tom Bechman is an important cog in the Farm Progress machinery. In addition to serving as editor of Indiana Prairie Farmer, Tom is nationally known for his coverage of Midwest agronomy, conservation, no-till farming, farm management, farm safety, high-tech farming and personal property tax relief. His byline appears monthly in many of the 18 state and regional farm magazines published by Farm Progress.

"I consider it my responsibility and opportunity as a farm magazine editor to supply useful information that will help today's farm families survive and thrive," the veteran editor says.

Tom graduated from Whiteland (Ind.) High School, earned his B.S. in animal science and agricultural education from Purdue University in 1975 and an M.S. in dairy nutrition two years later. He first joined the magazine as a field editor in 1981 after four years as a vocational agriculture teacher.

Tom enjoys interacting with farm families, university specialists and industry leaders, gathering and sifting through loads of information available in agriculture today. "Whenever I find a new idea or a new thought that could either improve someone's life or their income, I consider it a personal challenge to discover how to present it in the most useful form, " he says.

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