KENTUCKY — During this In Focus Kentucky segment, Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, R-Ky., joins the program to reflect on his eight years in office, which included initiatives to combat hunger and connect Kentucky farmers to new markets.

“Well, the thing I will miss the most is that I’m going to be working in a different professional aspect. I grew up farming. My family continues to farm today. I grew up in the Farm Bureau family. And so for me, getting to serve them day in and day out is not only been a calling for me in life, but I enjoyed every single day helping get local food into over 1000 public schools across Kentucky. I’ve enjoyed the Kentucky State Fair. I actually added this up, I’ve spent over three months of my life living at the Kentucky State Fair as Ag Commissioner. That’s a lot of pork chops and brisket sandwiches. I will miss the international trade aspect as well and I’ve got one more trade mission before I leave office. But at the end of the day, it’s about helping every single Kentucky and whether they grew up on a farm or not. If you’d like to eat, you’re part of the agricultural economy. And so for me, it’s about making sure that we have rural prosperity, that we make sure that we educate Kentuckians about where their food comes from. Only 2% of the population feeds the rest of the nation. But at the end of the day, I look back and think that we did a job well done. We ran a scandal free, transparent administration the past eight years, and we’re leaving Department of Agriculture in great shape for the next Commissioner,” said Quarles.

You can watch the full In Focus Kentucky segment in the player above.