American Farmland Trust - Pennsylvania Senate Republican Caucus

HonoEble M'ke Brubal€r, Chai
AgricultN @d Rual Aifails Comitee
Hmisbdg, PA l?120-1036
I m sritin8 to sro.gly suppofr the @nnmadod of Russll Redding 6 P€dsylvmia s
next SecElary ofAcriculls, As the fomer Press Serer.ry for lhe D@ann€nl of
Agricultue, I had ihe phdw ofworking direclly Rith Russell lot the pasl fou yffi in
his capacity as Exeutive Depuly Secrclary. I cm say wnh lhe umos! confiddce that
$ere is no p@n b€ner pr€paEd to lesd the depadnenl throud the next fq yes.
As you e .pdq tbis is a challenging time for bolh lhe Depannent ofAgncutue and
the agicultuBl induty in Pemsylvuia. Bolh lhe depanmenl ed the indulfy n
suppons fee mp@edqlled chaU€ng€s dE in no small p.rt 10 the stuCgling eohomy.
Just 6 faders fee low f@d prices and high op€ratioml costs, the Depainent of
Agicullue hd scaled back $afing lo ne.t lhe budseldy cotutrainls of thh sonomic
climste. I car 6sue you thai Russll possses nol only o {pr€cidion dd
mde$teding for these chrllehg.s, but a detemimlion lo conlin@ supponing botn the
opelaiion of the deplrtn.nt @d lhe seflices it provides to the cilids of Pemsylveia
Rusell js a true public sflet - lhe type people exp.$ but b€liev€ .o loneer qisl. For
inis dedjcatioo dd mwavering comnnenl lo doing what was ne€ded .nd whal ws
ngh! Russell h6 emed ml sincer€ i€sFcl md. fon wh.t I hlve sem, lhal of ndly
everyone else wbo *nows hin,
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