The Ag Commissioner’s Office Shouldn’t Be About Party Politics

Guest Opinion by Lisa Ward

A farmer doesn’t walk out to his field and ask if his crops are Republican or Democrat. 

He looks at the soil, checks the weather, and wonders one thing: 

Can I make enough this year to keep my farm going?

That’s farming. It’s not about politics. It’s about plants, people, and profits.

Right now Alabama farmers are being squeezed. The cost of seed, fertilizer, fuel, equipment, and everything it takes to keep a farm running keeps climbing. 

Markets change. 

Trade gets complicated. 

And farmers are left trying to figure out how to make the numbers work.

That’s why experience matters.

I’ve heard Ron Sparks say it many times. The Agriculture Commissioner’s office is not a place for party politics. 

It’s a place to serve farmers. He has said he has never made decisions in that office based on whether someone was a Republican or a Democrat, and that’s the way agriculture should be.

Because a peanut farmer doesn’t care what party you belong to when the price of fertilizer goes up. 

A cattle farmer doesn’t care what color your campaign sign is when the cost of feed rises. 

They care if somebody is standing up for them.

When Ron Sparks was Commissioner of Agriculture, he listened to farmers, fought for Alabama products, worked to open markets, protected consumers, and made sure agriculture had a voice.

Farmers trusted him because they knew he understood something simple. 

A farm doesn’t run on speeches. 

It runs on hard work.

The next Agriculture Commissioner should be someone who knows the people, understands the challenges, and has already shown they can get results.

Because farming doesn’t see red or blue.

Farming sees green.

If you want to support a great candidate that you already know is good for the garden…

#Alabama Cattlemens Association

#Alabama Farmers Federation

Lisa Ward is a former Democratic nominee for the Alabama State Senate, a political leader and advocate with more than three decades of experience advancing justice, equity, and community empowerment. She is known for grassroots organizing and coalition-building across the State, and is committed to policy solutions that uplift marginalized communities and strengthen democracy. She previously served as a senior advisor to the Will Boyd for Alabama campaign.

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