And then there was one. With the Veterans Administration cabinet pick announced Wednesday by the Trump team, only the next USDA secretary is yet to be named. In new commentary at https://www.hoosieragtoday.com/the-case-for-kip-tom/, agricultural communications and policy professional Patrick Pfingsten from Indianapolis tries to make the case for Indiana farmer Kip Tom as a great ag secretary choice.
“And I think what we have in someone like Kip Tom is a person who took his traditional, multi-generational family farm and turned it into a world class agribusiness,” Pfingsten told HAT. “To have someone who actually understands both the lace up your boots and get out in the tractor and the put on your best suit and try to attract jobs to the U.S. and to Indiana is an incredible tool that most people don’t bring to a job like agriculture secretary. He could really do some interesting things that way.”
Pfingsten knows the Kosciusko County farmer well and believes he can adeptly articulate to and on behalf of farmers.
“For those of us who saw his run for congress last year, even though he did lose in a close race in a primary, I think you saw a guy who is very talented at relating to people, that was very good at getting his message out, and really ran a strong campaign in public and on TV and on the radio and out on the streets. He lost to a very experienced, long time politician who was well funded, but I think when put in that public eye he wasn’t someone who was a shrinking violet.”
Kip Tom was recently photographed at Trump Tower but there is no confirmation yet as to who met with him, and what the exact topics were. The fact that none of the higher profile names mentioned as a possible pick in recent weeks has been selected, gives Pfingsten reason to believe a Kip Tom for ag secretary announcement could happen.