Doug Fisher was first appointed as secretary of agriculture in 2009 by then Governor Corzine and after 14 years of service Fisher is retiring he sat down with Brianna vannozzi in a look back on his storied career including the role his office played in addressing food insecurity especially during the covet pandemic and the growing threat of climate change on New Jersey's agriculture industry secretary Fisher it's really great to get a chance to talk to you I mean 14 years three administrations technically that you've worked through why is now the time to step down well there's a season there's a season for everything pardon me and I just decided that this was the time in other words on what age and I just felt that uh it was time really there was no there's no there was no on off switch it was just uh uh I had done a lot I felt that I had made my mark and and I mean you spent your career much of your career in state government as an assembly member prior to serving as secretary did you see yourself uh in this role back then when you were in the legislature no I didn't although I was chairman of Agriculture so obviously that meant that I could see myself doing it but no it wasn't something that I was absolutely aspiring to was that the farming Community kind of asked me uh when this opening became available would I be interested I had been lobbying when they talked about changing saving the Department of Agriculture at that time uh and and Trenton and uh so but but I see myself in it now how much or did it change at all your role during the pandemic and now after when we see this spike in food insecurity in hunger and the issues around that did your role have to shift well we were very proud of the fact that we were in the trenches making sure that our food banks and those uh the food banks serve were able to get the food stuff that they needed available from not only from federal government but also from state government so it was very important for us basically to make sure that that conduit of food flowed at a time when there was so much need and to continue to look at Food security as an issue uh it didn't just end when covet ended in fact in many ways it got worse that's correct and so we there's you know food insecurity is a is a top priority in this Administration and in our department as well as the legislature so we're we're working very hard to see where we can uh you know once again augment the opportunities for not only just for food banks but food insecurity feeding programs across the across the across the state whether it's in the schools you know during during covid um we were very uh proud of the fact that we were able to not miss a beat that every school child was able to take advantage of getting a deal at all hours of the time and times of the day yeah and to take advantage of those waivers at every level what concerns you as you leave especially as the federal dollars that the state has been able to tap into taper off what's your biggest concern when it comes to food insecurity and hunger well we have to have a more comprehensive policy across the state when we saw things like Supply chains getting interrupted when we saw Farmers that had to completely shift what it is that they do and how they do it when we know that there were there are many segments of the public that are not they're getting food but it's not the right food so I think working with the office of the food security Advocate is something that we're really tackling now as a master plan that the state can do gets heels into and work with all of its agencies sure we're on the heels Secretary of having the entire you know region just recently blanketed in Wildfire smoke that came down we're dealing with the precipice of really we're living in in the changes of climate now what uh would you say the department is going to have to look at to really key in on the problems that we're facing when it comes to climate change well first of all there was sort of climate denial uh in much of the AG Community not just in the state but across the country and I think that as farmers are now being affected and understand in ways that they hadn't really thought about uh it's clearly everyone knows now that uh you know climate resilience is really important and the way that the state can help is using by using its resources to help with carbon capture to make sure that and to make sure that our Farmers have adequate tools to keep the you know the rising uh tides and loss of arable land so there's there's any number of policies that we can do uh uh as at the state level to help our farming community and also to make sure that you know we want to ensure frankly uh that people understand the value of having a farm in their midst and they do that they have to Source locally it really does mean more now than ever yeah what would you say to folks as you step down here and retire that you'd like your legacy to be what are you most proud of that you've accomplished in this role how do you want to be remembered I want to just be remembered frankly as someone who did his job day in and day out and tried Never To Miss A B always looked at the public uh as uh where he needed to be able to serve to serve a farming Community to serve in so many areas that a lot of people don't know that the Department of Agriculture Works in but I guess uh if you were saying that's true right I mean they think of it as just uh I think it's Jersey fresh right right um I was going to say that uh but some of the things that we're doing right now are really really important and I'm glad that after 10 years we have this uh special occasion events legislation done as I leave now we're going to be doing what's called soil protection it's going to be a a very big thing which allows us to make sure that we maintain our lands for purposes of Agriculture talking about Dual Purpose solar I mean I guess it's hard to say when someone says what is your legacy frankly because I think my nature is just to keep moving forward and not to look back as much I'll reflect more when I'm when I'm out of here than I am now yeah I've got to ask you one more before you go appointed by Governor Corzine kept on during the Christie Administration then again during the Murphy Administration couldn't be any more different how does one navigate Waters like that how does someone stay as a Cabinet member if you will through administrations of that nature yeah guess I'm the longest serving Cabinet member in that regard and so frankly I think it's style I think it's a little silent substance but the style is uh you know looking at the mission of what it is they're trying to accomplish working with those folks in these administrations then beginning to get and trust and understand that that's what you're there for that's not about politics it's not about personal advancement it's about it's about doing what our mission calls for and I think that I had the respect of all three administrations for that and I respected them as well secretary of agriculture Doug Fisher thanks for your time and your service and for coming in to chat thank you Brianna we wish you well thanks