Strain describes diverse missions of the La. Dept. of Agriculture & Forestry

It may be the easiest, safest thing to say that the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is one of the most far reaching agencies in the state.
There is, of course, agriculture – but that includes missing equipment, livestock or timber; the actual animals or livestock; the actual crops; and crop care (pesticides, seed regulation, fertilization, etc.) – and forestry – including the trees, irrigation, nurseries and more – but, also there is motor fuel and pest control. The umbrella of the LDAF is a wide one, but even with so many facets, Commissioner Michael G. “Mike” Strain has enjoyed his job.
“It’s an incredible challenge,” he said as he spoke to The Summit Aug. 29.
But there is a negative side to the job, and Strain points to the bureaucracy of the job, moreover, dealing with state and federal officials who seemingly “have no clue.”
Strain, who will be seeking re-election in October, spoke to the group and provided great insight into the office and world of the LDAF.
The commissioner currently has his plate full fighting the Waters of the United States as stated in the Clean Water Act. Louisiana is one of the states suing the Environmental Protection Agency over the legislation and Strain believes the case needs to be heard by the Supreme Court as more states question the EPA over the ruling.
Strain is also fighting the government on H-2B visas (as well as H-2A). H-2B visas are temporary work visas for foreign workers with a job offer for seasonal, non-agricultural work in the U.S. Meanwhile, the H-2A temporary agricultural program establishes a means for agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of domestic workers to bring nonimmigrant foreign workers to the U.S. to perform agricultural labor or services of a temporary or seasonal nature. These are jobs that are available to U.S. workers first, but are typically turned down and many industries depend on migrant workers to fill the void. The commissioner’s office is pushing for three-year passport visas for the workers.
It is issues like these that see Strain and his office spend a good chunk of time each year in Washington, D.C., along with his stately duties.
With the many battles and the many jobs within the job as commissioner of agriculture, Strain admitted that he is fortunate to have “a good team in place.”
As attendees continued to discuss items with Strain, discussion turned to farmer’s markets and farm-to-table/local food movements that are swiftly becoming the trend nationally. While there are some limitations and risk factors taken into consideration, there will likely be more on the way to help prevent illness but still allow people to buy local.
Talk then turned to the rice industry and eventually Cuba. Strain explained that the key for Louisiana, in general, will be opening new markets as the state is mostly known for exporting food. Cuba, which is in dire need of many things, can be a chance for Louisiana and the U.S. to open a great market for its rice, its chickens, its wheat and much more.
Talk even turned to medical marijuana, which has also been put under Strain’s purview. There are a few issues with that. For now, the commissioner is hoping the federal government will provide more answers soon and the dialogue is there, at least, but, technically, the state cultivating marijuana, even for medicinal use, is still illegal as marijuana is a schedule I narcotic. If the government was to make it a schedule II narcotic, things would get a bit easier. But added pressure to Strain is that the state has only given his office one year to complete the task. And as for other states in similar situations, there aren’t many as states like Colorado “aren’t in the [medical marijuana] business” – it’s used recreationally there.
Strain, in addition to being the state’s commissioner of agriculture and forestry, also chairs the National Public Relations Task Force, the Animal and Plant Industries Committee and serves as second vice president for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and is the national chairman of the Republican Agricultural Commissioners Committee.
In 2016-17, Strain is also slated to serve as president of NASDA. This will bring commissioners, directors, secretaries and their staffs, as well as a host of industry leaders from every state and territory to aquaculture. Strain believes this is golden opportunity to advance Louisiana industries and bring its issues along with national and international issues, to the forefront.