Sierra Enlow's responses to KAS questionnaire
Sierra Enlow
Democratic Party
Candidate for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Please describe a policy or action you support to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture.
The Commissioner of Agriculture is directly responsible for deploying Agriculture Development Funds to support diversification within the agriculture industry. These funds have been utilized to provide Kentucky farmers with a transition plan from the impact of tobacco on the Commonwealth’s agriculture economy. As Commissioner of Agriculture, I will set aside a portion of these funds to support various AgTech initiatives to continue to develop innovation within the agriculture industry.
Education
Please describe your vision for involving Kentucky students in educational activities that ensure a knowledgeable and sustainable agricultural community.
In addition to continuing to support vocational education through FFA and 4H, I look forward to advocating for support of Ag in the Classroom and the mobile ag science centers. It’s important that students know the value of and experience a science-based education.
Technology
How will you help make modern agricultural technologies and information accessible to farmers of all scales so they can make informed decisions and remain competitive in a changing agricultural landscape?
The best way to support innovation and tech start-ups is to help provide a strong base of customer demand for those start-ups. As a perfectly competitive industry, agriculture is the perfect place to foster a consumer relationship with new technology. I look forward to connecting new technology with Kentucky farms to promote the success of our production agriculture operations and the future success of a strong AgTech industry within the Commonwealth.
Soil Health
Please describe your approach to fostering the long-term productivity and sustainability of soil in Kentucky’s agricultural lands?
I’m a strong supporter of conservation programs and implementation of new technologies to preserve the quality of our natural resources.
Science Policy
Science policies touch upon agriculture, health, technology, the economy and many other areas. Is there a science policy issue in Kentucky that you think deserves more attention than it has received?
Kentucky waterways are one of our greatest assets, we need to understand these ecosystems better which includes collecting more data and allowing more Kentuckians to explore the beauty these areas provide. Specifically, I would support additional funding for conservation programing and more gauges on our waterways to provide better insight on how we protect this asset for future generations.