Spirit Lake, Iowa — Rumors have been swirling since late last week about the possiblity of a role in the Trump Administration for Spirit Lake farmer and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey.
Monday morning Northey said that there is no formal signal from the Trump Administration that he’s been chosen to serve as an “undersecretary” in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Speculation ramped up over the weekend after D.C.-based “AgriPulse” reported Northey was in line to be the U.S.D.A.’s Undersecretary of Farm Production and Conservation. Northey would have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate if he’s nominated to that job. Northey posted a note on his Facebook page Saturday, saying doesn’t want to be “overly presumptive” about landing a leadership role in the U.S.D.A. Northey also said be loved his current job.
Northey, though, has had “several conversations” with newly-confirmed U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue, including a face-to-face when Perdue was in Iowa last week.
Northey says it would be an “amazing experience” to be part of the U.S.D.A.
Northey suggests that by learning about the inner workings of the U-S-D-A, he could return to Iowa and advise ag groups about how best to influence federal policymakers. Northey, who is 57 years old, is serving in his third term as state ag secretary. He runs his family farm near Spirit Lake, where corn has been planted so far this season, but no beans.
If Northey is selected, he would be the third northwest Iowan to serve a post in the Trump Administration’s Department of Agriculture. Rachel Pick of Le Mars serves as Executive Assistant to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue, while Sam Clovis of rural Hinton works as Senior White House Advisor to the Department of Agriculture.
