Chad Smith, NAFB News Service

Outgoing House Ag Committee Chair Collin Peterson tells the Hagstrom Report he’s not currently job hunting. However, he has offered to assist Joe Biden in setting up his agriculture policy. Peterson spoke to reporters during a news conference about a bill he introduced to make an additional 25 million acres available over the next five years for general Conservation Reserve Program signup. Instead of a cap on the program, the bill establishes a minimum requirement of 50 million CRP acres around the nation. The signup cap is currently 27 million acres. When questioned about his potential interest in becoming USDA Ag Secretary, Peterson responded with, “I’m going to back whoever he picks. It’s not my job to pick the next Ag Secretary.” Peterson says he’s been “in the saddle” of public life for more than four decades. During a recent hunting trip with his children, they told him he “seems like a different person.” Peterson says his emotions surrounding the election are mixed, and that’s he’s not looking for a full-time, four-year job. He did tell the transition team in Washington, D.C., that he was willing to consider helping with the agricultural transition. “There are plenty of good people out there who could be the next secretary,” Peterson adds.