Oklahoma feeds the world (with Blayne Arthur)

So what does the Secretary of Ag do?

Every day is different.

If you ask my kids, they'd probably say I go to a lot of meetings.

There are a lot of meetings.

So a multitude of different responsibilities, kind of on a day-to-day basis, running the agency, which here in Oklahoma is our Department of Ag, Food, and Forestry.

So size-wise, not a super big agency.

You know, numbers-wise, we've got over 400 employees, you know, because we've got some other agency that have a thousand employees.

That's still pretty long.

Very regulatory, but then we also have some market development programs like our Made in Oklahoma program, which we're very excited about.

So a lot of my responsibility is that agency day to day.

Are we doing what we're supposed to do? Are we following, you know, you all pass the bills over here that says Department of Ag, you all shall do X, Y, Z and making sure we're doing that.

But then what I think is great for agriculture and for rural Oklahoma is here in Oklahoma, The Secretary of Ag has a seat at a lot of other tables as well.

So sit on the Commissioners of the Land Office, so school land that's all throughout the state.

The Board of Equalization, which is very important to the work that you all do here.

The OSTRAD Board, so Oklahoma Center for Advancement of Science and Technology Board.

then serve as a regent for the OSU A&M system.

So I think why that's so great for Ag and Rural Oklahoma is even though I think probably some people think Oklahoma as a very rural and ag place, you know, ag producers are a small percent of the population.

And so they're hopefully ensuring that when there are discussions happening that we always have whoever is Secretary of Ag is bringing that agriculture perspective and that role voice.

Because I don't ever feel like, when I talk about ag policy especially, I don't feel like anyone would intentionally move forward ag policy that would be bad for farmers

and

ranchers.

I don't think that's the case.

I think a lot of times is there's just a lack of familiarity or knowledge or I think most things are very well intended.

So for us to hopefully have a voice all those places and say, hey, that sounds like a great idea, but I even give one other in the soul.

I know education can be a very hot topic.