The man who has been serving as Acting Director at the State Department of Agriculture can drop “acting” from his title. Peter Hofherr has been chosen by Governor Bob Holden to replace Lowell Mohler who is leaving the Department to serve on the Conservation Commission. He doesn’t plan any drastic changes. Hofherr says he wants to concentrate on three things: to take advantage of value-added agriculture, to tell the story of agriculture to a society that has fewer ties to the farm, and to create a flexible regulatory environment. Hofherr also expresses great concern for the state budget, saying that shrinking state revenues aren’t adequate to keep up with unfunded federal mandates. Hofherr was the State Agriculture Department’s Deputy Director before becoming Acting Director. He also handled special projects such as representing Governor Holden in discussions between the Midwestern Governor’s Association and the European Union on bio-technology
