How candidates in Kentucky’s agriculture commissioner election would approach the position

For the first time in eight years, Kentucky is guaranteed to have a new commissioner of agriculture.

Ryan Quarles, the current commissioner, will reach his term limit this year and Republican Jonathan Shell and Democratic nominee Sierra Enlow will face off in November to determine who will be Quarles’ successor.

Shell, a fifth-generation farmer from Garrard County, was previously elected to the Kentucky House in 2012. After helping spearhead the GOP’s candidate recruitment efforts, he became the first Republican House majority leader in 2017 but lost his primary the following year.

Enlow grew up on a family farm in LaRue County, according to her website. She attended the University of Kentucky and received undergraduate and masters degrees in agricultural economics. Based in Louisville, she works as an economic development consultant.

The state’s agricultural commissioner is responsible for expanding and promoting the state’s agricultural markets.

To give voters an idea of how each candidate would approach the position, the Herald-Leader asked them six questions relating to the agriculture commissioner’s role, food insecurity, climate change and cannabis and hemp cultivation.

The following answers are in the candidates’ own words.

Many voters don’t understand the full scope of the Commissioner of Agriculture’s role. How can policies enacted by the commissioner affect Kentuckians who don’t work in agriculture?

Sierra Enlow: For too long, we have had Commissioners of Agriculture focused on telling farmers how to farm. What Kentucky needs is a Commissioner of Agriculture focused on creating and developing new markets for Kentucky agricultural products. By expanding the economic opportunities for our farming families to sell their products both here in Kentucky, around the nation, and abroad.

I will be a Commissioner of Agriculture laser-focused on protecting and expanding the economic opportunities of family farms, creating new, good-paying jobs, and elevating the status of Kentucky agriculture. I am a product of Kentucky’s family farms, and it would be the honor of a lifetime to work in their service.

Jonathan Shell: Agriculture is the backbone of our state’s economy, and I’m running to be a supporter and defender of our farmers and rural communities. Our culture, our communities, and many generations of Kentucky families have ties to agriculture. It’s who we are, and I’m proud to be part of that legacy.

What happens to farmers has a direct impact on everyone who eats food. We’re all anxious about what Joe Biden and his out-of-touch federal bureaucrats are doing to our economy. They’re waging a war on farmers just like they did to our coal miners, and all Kentuckians are feeling the effects. The Ag Commissioner must use this office to stand up against those sort of abuses. The message I hear all the time from farmers is simple: please stay out of our way so we can do what we do best, feed America!

While working to promote or expand Kentucky agriculture, is there anything you might do differently than previous commissioners?

Sierra Enlow: Kentucky’s Department of Agriculture continues to miss opportunities to collaborate across agency lines to strengthen the farm-gate impact of agriculture markets. Specifically, our Commonwealth needs a Commissioner of Agriculture that understands the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development works and how to advocate for our farmers as part of that process. Too often, the business and economic needs of farmers are overlooked or ignored. Kentucky farm business must be brought into the 21st century, and as Commissioner of Agriculture, I intend to do that.

Our rural communities are at an inflection point where we need to invest in infrastructure and present new job opportunities to these communities; specifically, with a focus on supporting our agriculture industry. Over the last few years, I have facilitated over $1B in capital investment for Kentucky through my work as an economic development consultant. I look forward to bringing this expertise to the office of the Agriculture Commissioner. Kentuckians need a Commissioner of Agriculture who knows how to represent them at the farm gate and boardroom.

Jonathan Shell: It’ll take a team effort to grow our agriculture economy, especially in the middle of Joe Biden’s record inflation. I consider myself in the same mold as the two previous commissioners, Comer and Quarles: a team player who can work the system and take advantage of opportunities. For more than a decade, I’ve been building strong relationships with Kentucky’s Ag associations, universities and decisionmakers. I’m the only candidate in this race who can work productively with the General Assembly to advance Kentucky agriculture and support the industries farmers rely on.

As commissioner, what would you do to address growing food insecurity concerns in the state?

Sierra Enlow: The Kentucky Department of Agriculture can continue building on existing success with farm-to-school and farm-to-campus programs by developing partnerships with additional large institutional partners to drive the adoption of Kentucky-grown products. In practice, this would look like partnering with organizations like health plans and hospital systems to push nutritionally dense, Kentucky-grown food through to their members and patients in creating a robust “food as health” environment.

In addition to working on food insecurity, the Commissioner of Agriculture can play a vital role in food access. As a state, we’re comfortable talking about food deserts as an urban issue and not thinking about counties such as Trimble County lacking grocery stores. There are multiple solutions a strong Commissioner of Agriculture can advocate to enact change in this space.

Jonathan Shell: Farmers take care of our communities, especially in tough times. You can always find a Kentucky farmer pitching in to help those in need. I’m going to continue the work of Commissioner Quarles with the Kentucky Farm Bureau and other Ag associations across Kentucky who have really been leading this team effort to do what farmers do best: feed Kentucky. I’ve been building these strong relationships for more than a decade as a farmer and a policymaker. As the first-ever Republican State House Majority Leader, I have a proven record working with our General Assembly to do big things, and I’ll work with them to get food in the hands of people who need it.

With the legalization of medical marijuana, do you believe cannabis cultivation can become a money maker for the state’s producers in the future?

Sierra Enlow: As the next Agriculture Commissioner I will be the driver in rolling out new crops, including cannabis, and building sustainable ecosystems around them. This requires moving quickly to initiate grow operations while also building a strong market for Kentucky crops. We can’t let what happened with hemp happen with new opportunities for Kentucky farmers. Our next Ag Commissioner has to work to ensure a bright future for new opportunities.

Jonathan Shell: The next Ag Commissioner will have a big task in preparing the Department for this new product. I come at this issue as both a farmer and former leader in the General Assembly. We need to stand up a diligent oversight program from the Department to protect Kentucky’s farmers every step of the way.

Is there still a future for widespread hemp cultivation in Kentucky? Is there anything you would do as agricultural commissioner to assist producers in that unstable market?

Sierra Enlow: A strong Commissioner of Agriculture should work with the Cabinet for Economic Development to bring food and agriculture processing facilities to Kentucky. We need to know that we have a market for Kentucky agricultural products prior to indicating to producers that they need to grow a product.

Jonathan Shell: On my farm, we were one of the first and largest growers of hemp in the state. The company we were working with went bankrupt, leaving us in a difficult position. I know lots of other Kentucky farmers were in a similar spot.

So many of the issues that Kentucky farmers are facing, including this one, come from out-of-touch bureaucrats in Washington. I’m the only candidate in this race with the experience and relationships to stand with our growers as they navigate these complex issues.

Do you believe climate change has or will affect Kentucky agriculture? If so, how can the state prepare producers?

Sierra Enlow: We need to tell the story of our emergency response efforts with our state veterinarian’s office. The weather events faced over the last couple of years have required outstanding service from our veterinarian office and have highlighted the need for the expansion of this service by the Department of Agriculture.

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture continues to be consistently underfunded with a significant number of the departmental staff making less than the living wage for a family with one child. We have to be able to attract the right type of administrative talent, particularly in our emergency response functions, by paying competitive wages. One of my first goals as Commissioner of Agriculture will be to advocate for increased funding for the department through the 2024 Legislative Session where the bi-annual budget is adopted.

Jonathan Shell: Growers and producers know what’s best for their farms and the land; they don’t need folks in Washington cubicles telling them what to do. We are stewards of the land and know how to feed America. Joe Biden’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulation would have empowered the EPA to regulate every ditch, pond and puddle on a farmer’s property and made it impossible to grow crops and raise livestock. The Ag Commissioner must use this office to stand up against those sorts of abuses. I think federal overreach is one of the biggest challenges facing farmers, and I intend to be a strong voice against it.

This story was originally published October 17, 2023 at 7:00 AM.

Rick Childress

Lexington Herald-Leader

502-219-6483

Rick Childress covers Eastern Kentucky for the Herald-Leader. The Lexington native and University of Kentucky graduate first joined the paper in 2016 as an agate desk clerk in the sports section and in 2020 covered higher education during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent much of 2021 covering news and sports for the Klamath Falls Herald and News in rural southern Oregon before returning to Kentucky in 2022.