Brancel Hosting Other State Ag Secretaries

Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) Secretary Ben Brancel will host the annual meeting of the Midwestern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (MASDA) on June 21-24, 2015. Commissioners, Secretaries and Directors of state departments of agriculture from twelve Midwestern states will visit Wisconsin to listen to speakers, participate in roundtable discussions and take educational agricultural tours in Madison and the surrounding communities.

Topics to be covered during the four-day event include: food safety, land use and conservation, agricultural business development, animal health and international market issues. Secretary Brancel is currently serving as regional president for the Midwest.

MASDA is one of four regions of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA). The mission of NASDA is to represent the state departments of agriculture in the development, implementation and communication of sound public policy and programs which support and promote the American agricultural industry, while protecting consumers and the environment.

The visiting staff will be touring Wisconsin dairy farms, potato operations, as well as several agribusinesses.  They’ll start with a business meeting at the Concourse Hotel on Sunday.