State agriculture chief to lead national association
Sep. 23—A Schoharie County native will lead the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
According to a NASDA media release, New York Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball was elected Wednesday and will serve as NASDA's 2021-2022 president. He will host the 2022 NASDA Annual Meeting in Saratoga Springs on Sept. 25-28, 2022.
"I am honored to be elected NASDA's new president and to lead as our states work together to ensure that agriculture continues to grow and thrive," Ball said in the media release. "I have long valued the opportunity to gather with some of the best minds in agriculture, our commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture, as well as our community partners, collaborating through NASDA to advocate for and implement change that will have a lasting impact on our shared industry. The policies set forth and implemented by NASDA this year will deliver on our collective commitment to address the most important and pressing agricultural issues of today while strengthening our farms and food supply for the future."
Also elected to NASDA's Board of Directors were Wyoming Director of Agriculture Doug Miyamoto (vice president), Indiana Director of Agriculture Bruce Kettler (second vice president) and Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward (secretary-treasurer).
Ball is the owner and operator of Schoharie Valley Farms in Schoharie, which consists of 200 acres and produces vegetable crops, small fruits and greenhouse crops. He is a Schoharie native and SUNY Cobleskill graduate.
According to the release, NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association that represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries and directors of the departments of agriculture in all 50 states and four U.S. territories.
