Jeff Witte: The Glorious New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture

Secretary Witte grew up on his family’s ranch on the Rowe Mesa between Moriarty and Las Vegas, New Mexico. He graduated from New Mexico State University (NMSU) with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business management and a master’s degree in agricultural economics. After college, Jeff worked for New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau as the field representative for the counties in northern New Mexico. He also represented the state’s farmers and ranchers in legislative discussions in Santa Fe. During this time, Jeff worked to bring farmer groups and rancher groups together. The Ag Group, as it’s loosely known, still gathers every year before the legislative session to set policy priorities that will benefit all of agriculture. When the session gets going, the group hosts Ag Fest to showcase to legislators and their staff the diversity of New Mexico agriculture. Jeff was instrumental in making this an annual event. Jeff first came to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA), located in Las Cruces, in 1994. He spent the next nine years as the assistant director alongside Secretary/Director Frank DuBois. During that time, Jeff helped create the New Mexico Agricultural Leadership Program, a two-year program that aims to develop effective leaders within the state’s food, agriculture, and natural resource sectors. Jeff was named New Mexico’s fifth permanent Director/Secretary of Agriculture in May 2011 and has held the position since then. This episode focuses on topics related to prominent issues in local, state, and national agriculture issues.