Is Katie Smith a Farmer?
I was struck by the Governor's choice of words in appointing Katie Smith as the first female Department of Agriculture.
“Katie Smith was raised in the heart of Missouri agriculture and has spent her career working to promote our state’s rich agriculture heritage,†Blunt said at a news conference to announce the appointment.
Charlie "Hey, what happened to Fred" Kruse used similar phrasing: “Katie Smith comes from a farm background and has considerable experience in developing and implementing agricultural policy,†said the statement of Charles Kruse, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau.
Notice no one said she's a farmer. I believe this will be the first time in history Missouri has a director of agriculture who was not engaged in some sort of farming operation immediately prior to being appoitned.
Perhaps that's because Missouri statute 261.010 requires the director of that department to "be a practical farmer, well versed in agricultural science."
I guess previous Governor's have interpreted that law to mean BE a farmer, rather than HAVE BEEN on a farm as a child. We'll see if the Senate takes their advice and consent role seriously on this one.
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Practical Farmer
Maybe Lil Matt's advisors interpreted "practical farmer" as "practically a farmer", as in "almost" a farmer. She did say that sometimes she helps move equipment around her father's farm. Oh boy, she gets to drive a tractor once in awhile (or is it only a lawn mower she moves). I drove by a John Deere dealer the other day, does that make me practically a farmer, also??
Just a Political Appointment
If you look closely at the qualifications of Ms. Smith it becomes apparent that she was chosen because of her political affiliations. We should not expect anything else from Governor Blunder. I find it hard to believe that there was not someone with more true qualifications to lead the Department of Agriculture.
Department of Ethanol?
The announcment I heard re Ms. Smith was her last job was at the Fed. Dept of Energy. Cannot you all figure out that Energy + Agriculture = Ethanol? Even in the small print of the Blunt announcement he says that.
Pity the poor folks in Webster County who just had their groundwater donated to the ethanol industry today.
http://tinyurl.com/2cjpt5
Poor Katie...
You know the old saying "Any port looks good in a storm". Poor girl has no idea what she said yes too.
She's not a farmer but...
...there was a farm next door to the Holiday Inn Express where she was staying. Isn't that good enough?
All the Best
All the best to Ms. Smith in her endeavors as the new Ag Director.
Good Catch
I was going to add something on that particular section myself. While the use of "practical farmer" does allow for a degree of latitude, in the past the candidates have not been so distant from the practice of agriculture.
I believe that she will do fine. I suspect that it's getting pretty hard to drum up cabinet officers to serve in an administration that is clearly headed toward defeat.
The staff at the department deserve the best as do those who toil to make a living from the soil.
Whether she's the best or not, I don't know. But she may have been the best available to young Matt.
C.