Growing Together: Conversation with Ted McKinney, Chief Executive Officer, The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture

Ted McKinney serves as the Chief Executive Officer of NASDA, a position to which he was named in September 2021. He was also the first U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs from 2017-2021. McKinney grew up on a family grain and livestock farm in Tipton, Indiana, and was a 10-year 4-H member and an Indiana State FFA Officer. He graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics.

How did your educational experiences at Purdue University impact your path to leadership?

Put simply, the Purdue University undergraduate experience was the pinnacle of leadership development. While deep involvement with my Church, FFA, 4-H and other school activities were core and preceded the Purdue experience, the college campus experience pulled together everything prior. Whether it was fraternity life and learning (Alpha Gamma Rho), numerous campus activity organizations, Honorary Societies, or athletics, it was on campus that the foundation was laid for all that came thereafter. I am forever grateful.

How do National Association of State Departments of Agriculture’s (NASDA) key priorities align with or benefit from land-grant universities’ research, education, and/or Cooperative Extension programs?

NASDA enhances American food and agricultural communities through policy, partnerships and public engagement. With the goal of advancing agriculture globally, land grant universities’ research, education and cooperative extension programs continue to help state agriculture departments and the agriculture industry to gain knowledge on innovations and technology, educate on implementing new practices for efficiency, increased output and beyond, and provide key resources to U.S. farmers and ranchers to support the viability of American farms. The role of land grant universities in the agriculture industry is invaluable, and state agriculture leaders are proud to support and partner with these key institutions.  

One of NASDA’s Farm Bill priorities includes funding for agricultural research. NASDA recommends significantly increasing funding for research on the safety and security of our food system and the improvement and protection of natural resources. Robust support for agricultural research including funding for Extension programs and research infrastructure is vital to ensuring U.S. agriculture remains competitive globally. 

How have colleges of agriculture and natural resources at land-grant universities helped NASDA strengthen its impact and serve your stakeholders?

The partnership between land-grant universities and NASDA enhances evidence-based policy and regulatory work, supports education and outreach, and fosters innovation across the agricultural sector. Additionally, we have hosted experts from land-grant universities at many NASDA events, fostering an open dialogue and exchange of ideas during formal panels and discussions. The partnership strengthens state agriculture departments’ capacity to effectively serve America’s farmers and ranchers.

Research: If you could ask agricultural researchers for help with one critical issue, what would it be?

After the aforementioned support for the Extension System and the richness of robust 4-H and FFA development experiences, I would then turn to the preparation, then mitigation of emerging pest and disease threats. NASDA policy states:

• “NASDA supports enhanced investment in science-based research needed to advance diagnostics, vaccines, and other response or treatment options to current or emerging animal diseases.”

• “NASDA supports enhanced investment in science-based research needed to prevent the introduction of pathogens, control plant pests and diseases, and develop new methods for reducing or eliminating potential plant health hazards.”

The roster of diseases upon us or threatening us reads like an alphabet soup, and their opportunity for enormous disruption of US agriculture is enormous. If we are not ahead of these problems, we most certainly will fall behind and the consequences could be devastating.

Education: What kinds of student experiences (e.g., academics, internships, projects) are important to prepare students for the agricultural workforce?

From the farm to Capitol Hill to the international marketplace, there is a space for everyone in the agricultural industry. Given the breadth and scope of career opportunities in agriculture, I think it is important for students to find the experiences that best fit their interests and career desires. Ideally, students will gain a variety of experiences, both in the classroom and in more hands-on settings, that will broaden their horizons and their understanding of agriculture to foster new ideas and promote the creativity and innovative thinking that will continue to help U.S. agriculture thrive. The short list was provided in the question -- in-class learning, laboratory experiences, internships on or away from campus, campus activities (both agriculture and non-agriculture oriented). With all, I highly recommend that students pursue leadership positions in these areas of learning.

What advice would you give to today’s college students?

There is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach to education and experiences, and I encourage students to seize opportunities that come to them as well as creating their own while in college. Your time in formal education settings will likely go quickly, so learn all you can, gain new experiences, do things that make you uncomfortable and broaden your perspective. If I were to boil it down, my first emphasis would be to dive deeply into on- campus activities, followed by as many off campus internships as can be found, and particularly between the Sophomore-Junior years, and the Junior-Senior years.

Cooperative Extension: How can Extension provide the most value to your stakeholders in local communities across the U.S?

Extension continues to serve as a trusted, on-the-ground resource that delivers research-based, practical solutions tailored to the unique needs of local farmers and communities. There are countless success stories of Extension agents bridging the gap between research and practical application, allowing university research to come to life and benefit farmers and rural communities. Additionally, Extension agents often serve as leaders of youth organizations such as 4-H, helping to grow and nurture the next generation of agricultural leaders. Cooperative Extension often partners with state agriculture departments to develop programs, share data and align efforts on emerging issues in rural communities, and this partnership is invaluable to our members and to the agriculture industry.

What are strong opportunities for increased collaboration between NASDA and land-grant universities partners?

A prime example of collaboration between NASDA and land-grant universities is the annual Global Agricultural Productivity report produced by Virginia Tech, which leverages partnerships, innovation, policy and analysis to ensure farmers have access to tools to improve productivity. NASDA serves as a technical partner for the GAP report, contributing knowledge of agriculture and resources on issues important to agriculture.

Through partnerships like this one, NASDA’s policy and regulatory leadership combines with land-grant universities’ research and outreach to deliver benefits to the agriculture industry and beyond. NASDA and land grant universities bring together public agencies, industry and academic researchers to solve complex agriculture challenges and seek new opportunities, particularly in the areas of workforce development, Extension education, resource sharing and bridging the gap between research and practice. There are countless opportunities for continued partnership between NASDA and land-grant universities and we look forward to continued and expanded collaboration.

“Growing Together: Conversations with CEOs” showcases Presidents and CEOs of national agricultural associations, commodity groups, and other organizations and explores their powerful synergies with land-grant universities. Through conversations with leaders, this new interview series examines how organizations strengthened their impact in partnerships with Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources’ research, education, and Cooperative Extension. These interviews also highlight emerging opportunities to leverage collaboration, drive innovation, and serve all Americans.