Extra Mile Podcast: Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson

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*INTRO MUSIC*

(Paul Katool) That's nearly 2 billion and that's money that's going to be spent on improving safety, enhancing mobility and improving economic growth and development in the state of Mississippi.

(Will) Yeah. And with this historic funding from the legislature, new construction will be popping up all over Mississippi.

(Drew Hall) MDOT presents the Extra Mile Podcast.

(Brad White) Men and women of the Department of Transportation are up to the task and up to make sure that we deliver a product that the taxpayers can be proud of. So I'm ready for us to go to work.

(Paul) Welcome in to another edition of the Extra Mile podcast Legislative Session presented by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. I'm MDOT, deputy director of Public Affairs, Paul Katool. And as always, I'm joined by my co-host, Will Craft. He is the director of public affairs here at the agency. And today we have a friend of the show, a friend of the department, the eighth commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce in the state of Mississippi. Andy Gipson

(Andy Gipson) Well, thank you, Paul. It's great to be back. I want to thank you for inviting me back. Sometimes I don't get invited back. It's always an extra pleasure to get invited back to the podcast.

(Paul) No, we we're going to keep on rolling with you, having you on as often as we can. And let's start off with a great success. We were just talking before the show. The rodeo is underway and things are going pretty well with that, right?

(Andy) Yeah, we actually have had another record, Dixie National Rodeo. We're really proud of that. We set a record. We crossed the threshold two years ago that we never crossed in terms of ticket sales and revenues, and we have exceeded that, not in the last year, but we've done it again this year. And for that, my team, our team at the Department of Agriculture and our partners and we truly are partners with Harper Morgan Rodeo Company, they they get the credit for that and we're taking it to the next level.

One of the things that's helped us to do that is we're promoting the devil out of this event, and I promote it all the time. We couldn't promote it without the support of our private sector sponsors. So Southern AG Credit stepped up last year, said We want to be the presenting sponsor for the rodeo. We said, We're glad to have you. They helped us really amp up our our promotions and we are going to keep it growing in the right direction.

(Paul) That is excellent.

(Will) Yeah. Keep things going and you got what, the Mississippi AG, an outdoor expo coming up this weekend. When this show comes out, it'll be the weekend behind us. Yes. Coming up, too.

(Andy) That's right. The last weekend of the rodeo, we have the Mississippi AG and Outdoor Expo. It is like a great show as a springtime addition for our turkey hunters and fishermen and folks who are looking to get in the water for the great outdoors and we've learned that our wildlife partners and our friends with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Director Lynne Posey and the Commissioner of Wildlife, they are, but we kind of represent the same people. That's our people. Hunters and fishermen and rodeo fans go great together. So we built these events to complement each other.

And I think that's another secret to success as we grow other events that that help build on the success of the rodeo, we're cross-selling to our wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts, to hunters and fishermen, and we're going to do it at the next level for our next upcoming events.

(Will) Yep. Glad to hear awesome speaking about cross promotion there. We want to give a shout out to you guys over there at the department coming in through helping us out. You know, our big mission, as you're aware for this this legislative session that's underway, is that sustainable revenue source. We're going to we're going to beat this proverbial horse to death.
But such a big issue and we appreciate you see that need to. Right?

(Andy) Well, I do, because I was actually in the legislature when we had the the gas tax wars and all that, you know, unhelpful conversation that happened back, I don't know, in the early 2000, mid two thousands and really nothing has happened. So I think what you folks have done it with your leadership. Brad White and chairman Willie Simmons wrote an article and I read that and it really got my attention. I said, now this is a solution to have a dedicated stream of funding that's from existing revenue sources. They said the use tax and the gambling tax. I think that's a great idea. You dedicate that to the build highways infrastructure and then we won't have this bridge crisis that we had just three or four years ago.

We won't have potholes all over major highway and we won't have to go around to haul the logs and the cotton and the soybeans and the chicken. People got to get their fried chicken and then you can't get it down to a road that isn't a functional. So having this dedicated stream of funding is, I think, critical and I strongly support what y'all are trying to do. And and I certainly believe that our legislature will hear that message and will support it. I just expect they'll do that

(Will) And do it by not raising taxes without raising anybody's taxes.

(Andy) Without raising anybody’s taxes. Who who's who's going to be against this idea? This is a great idea to to to have that streamlined and put all those unnecessary fights behind us. Let's just get the funding. The people of Mississippi want good roads and not only maintaining the roads we have, but we need to build some new roads. We want to build Mississippi. We want to grow the infrastructure so we have more people working, paying taxes, bringing in revenue and more ways to get to work and to school and to get back safely to home.

(Paul) Yeah, like we mentioned great teammate and that was that was greatly appreciated. Let's let's all do this together for sure. Yeah. So let's talk a little bit more about y'all. So anything besides the two events we talked about, anything big going on at the AG Department?

(Andy) Well, yeah, we are we have a we have a series of great things that are coming up. We were tasked by the United States Department of Agriculture and the funding that was appropriated through Congress to develop a food security plan for the state of Mississippi. That is a to build out of food storage and aggregation and supply chain and processing and distribution food facilities. And so we're going to be doing some of that in the coming days, and I'm really excited about it. As we developed our state plan, we submitted that to USDA and we got their approval of that here just recently.

So you're going to be hearing more about that and it's going to result in economic development for the state of Mississippi without costing the state a single dime. So that's even better. So we're really proud to be working on that through the through the that that federal program. And we're also working on, of course, our next big events we have right after the rodeo.

We have cheerleading competitions. We have all kind of sporting events in the Coliseum there. We've had a lot of success renting the trademark. It is the new trademark that the legislature paid the bill. It cost $30 million. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith at the time advocated for that. It's turned out to be our most rented building on the fairgrounds. So it's portrayed shows all the time and all the way through the summer. We just get ready. Starting right after rodeo, we'll start planning for the state fair. That's the that's the next big thing. This fall.

(Will) It's always a big event for sure. Yeah, well, and all those are positive. Greatly positive things don't mean to turn this thing to a negative, but we've got a shared issue that we're all working on. Tell us about these pine beetle.

(Andy) Yeah, well, it is a crisis. I,this past drought, the 2023 drought, I think it woke everybody up. And the reason why food security is such a big deal, I think it's the biggest deal we're going to have is the drought that they showed us. We can't always count on the rain that we need. That same drought has resulted in stress to the trees, the pine trees and hardwoods, But stress invited beetle, southern pine beetles and the IPS beetles, which are destructive insects.

They have killed millions and millions of trees across a huge swath of Mississippi, and now they're presenting not only a danger to our forestry industry, which is our number two industry in the state, to loggers and to the health of our forests. It's also a public safety crisis because on the rights of way, if you drive anywhere in Mississippi, you go see dead trees. You take one big stone. We're getting in tornado season blow, somebody may get killed. I talked to the mayor of a town right here and in central Mississippi.

They've got enough trees just on their public city land. It's going to cost $1,000,000 to take these trees down. And the thing is, we got to get them down because if we don't, these bugs will hatch out this spring and summer. And they were going to spread like wildfire and killed a bunch of more of our timber and forests in Mississippi. So it is a it's an economic threat to our our second largest industry. It's a public safety threat to motorist and other folks who these trees might fall upon. So we got to find a way to clean them up, get them down, mitigate the damage and keep these bugs from spreading all over Mississippi, even worse.

(Will) It's crazy.

(Andy) It is crazy. And what we don't know yet is we're before the spring green up when that when the trees begin to bud, we'll know how bad the hardwood damage is.

We see the pine damage now, the needles all dried and turned brown. The hardwoods will know what damage they had. If they don't blow it out and green up so that there may be another whole nother layer to this thing from the drought is a serious drought. We're praying for more rain. We're still in a drought technically, in terms of the lack of rainfall, but we had a lot of rain last week.

We're still praying for rain. Our farmers in the delta are getting rain. It'll be planting season and we got to get the next year's crop in the ground and pray for rain too, to grow it and make another successful crop for our food and fiber and shelter in Mississippi.

(Will)If you were, you know, let's just say I had a you know, 100 acres of these pine trees now had this infestation. What what am I supposed to do? You know?

(Andy) Well, there's no existing program to to help get those trees down other than the landowner can pay to cut them back, go out there and cut them down. It's one thing to cut trees in the woods and have them just fall anywhere. It's another thing to cut them down in town and risk falling on your house or on the roadway.

So that's two different issues. But the landowner has to front the money and then get that done. And we have a great forestry commission that is designed to fight wildfire like wildfire. And they did a great job doing that during the drought. That same forestry commission, it seems to me, would be a great place to for the legislature to help provide some funding to help clean this mess up and prevent these bugs from spreading like wildfire to kill the rest of our trees.

So Congress, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith has introduced a bill to provide some federal relief for this emergency. And I believe our legislators are looking at this. I hope they'll be supportive of it, but something's got to be done. This is a truly an emergency, not only economic emergency, but also a public safety emergency. And for our landowners out there, I mean, those who can afford do just got to get them cut, get them out of there.

I've seen large tracts of land, just clear cut. Sure. So all that land's got to be planted back and it'll be generations, you know, before those trees grow. So this is a it's a big deal. And I think it's it's been unfolding quietly, but now people can see what's going on. And this is the time to act.

(Paul)Sure, it's crazy. The little beetle like that could cause so many problems. But it is what it is.

(Andy) So they get in the sap, they drill into that tree and they just destroy the that tree's ability to survive.

(Paul) Wild, wild. So another little issue we're still having. So I think on past shows, as we've discussed with you, cattle theft, that's still a thing, correct?

(Andy) They're still thieves, believe it or not. Sorry, Low down thieves are everywhere. And you know, when things get more expensive, seem like the thieves came out, stole even more. They always stealing something off a farm, a tractor. We we have a great ag Theft Bureau under the leadership of Chief Dean Bernard. He does a great job and his team recovering the stolen tractors, ATVs, etc. But then a lot of timber theft and still cattle theft.

We had some cow stole out of a sale barn and tried to be taken across state lines. But our guys got them and got them back and they get a great kudos for that. They do a great job. Absolutely. We only have about ten agents, but they work closely with our law enforcement, county and city and town and and even federal.

We're great partners with everybody and we like to get folks property back to them.

(Will) Amen.

(Paul) Shoutout to them.

(Will) Just fast and furious with you today, Commissioner. We're just rolling through things, but in a good way. Another issue that seems to be a shared burden. I live in Rankin County out hear, I don't have the Delta problems, but the pumps back water pumps, still an ongoing topic, right?

(Andy) Yeah, it's been quiet for a while. Last January, a year ago, I went to a meeting in Vicksburg with the Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA. The White House actually sent EPA folks down. They heard from the people. They heard from me. This is an issue that's got to be addressed. They've been studying it and researching it.

And I met with the EPA last week. The regional director said that they are ready to move forward with the Army Corps of Engineers to approve a plan. All right. That's going to finish the pumps. If the Army Corps of Engineers can complete its study this year, they believe they'll be able to act upon it this year so that we're optimistic and I will hold them to what they told me.

We're going to finish the pumps. I believe it's going to get done.

(Will) I think it's a great thing to accomplish, that's for sure. Well, needed.

(Andy) It is. I mean, the folks in South-Delta, too, have suffered gut punch after gut punch. They're tired of being flooded out. There's a way to fix this so that everybody's interests are protected and even the wildlife is going to benefit from these pumps.

You saw all the deer that die with the last series of floods. But you know, lately we've had a lot of drought and not so much flooding. But we need a good we need a good year to grow and to have the kind of rainfall we need to have a really good crop for for the people of Mississippi and for our state's number one industry, which is and always has been agriculture.

(Will) Absolutely. I'm a big fan, big fan. I like to eat.

(Andy) We all like to eat.

(Will) Got to have it. And to move on to maybe a little more sensitive or serious topic, talking back about the rodeo and all good things going on there, I believe I saw a Facebook post from you guys just finished up a wonderful memorial for Mike Mathis.

(Andy) You know, this is the first year that we've not had the late great Mike Mathis that he announced the Dixie National Rodeo for 27 years. Two years ago, three, we lost Licel Harris, who's from Mississippi. We had a memorial for him and actually had a parade here to honor his memory. And when Mike passed away unexpectedly in December, we said, we've got to do something to honor him.

So we got with our private sector partners and they sponsored a beautiful memorial that's got Mike on his horse saying, hello, Jackson in his in his signature way. Right alongside Liscel. So side by side, when you come in the north, interest to the coliseum there forever is their memory and their legacy lives on. At the Dixie National.

(Will) It's awesome.

(Paul) Yeah, love it.

(Andy) We miss him. But he's smiling down on us from heaven, no doubt about it.

(Will) These record breaking venues, man. That's right.

(Andy) Proud to do it. We even built a steak house. I had a dream. I wanted to eat a steak before the Dixie Nationals. So I had some folks come in and they they were built out of Steak house inside of the trademark.

And I had that tomahawk steak right there. That's the best steak I've had in a long time. I'm trying to see if we can keep that steakhouse open. Even after the rodeo ends.

(Will) It looks like about 32 ounces of steak.

(Andy) I don't know. I eat everything but the bone.

(Paul) That's a lot of protein.

(Andy) And then I got on a horse and rode out and welcome everybody and said the opening prayer. And that was a fine piece of meat. Get energized.

(Will) I couldn’t breathe after that steak, man.

(Paul) There's a potato there, too. Lots of lots of food on the plate.

(Andy) Meat and potatoes.

(Will) Speaking of steaks, the sale of the Champions was another great event.

(Andy) Oh wow. Yeah, We had a you know, the thing about these records is the tough thing about setting records is you got to you got to break them next year.

So we always worry, are we going to do it again? When we had a record sale of champions last year, Sale of Champions brought 456,000 for scholarships and for these young people's high, the best of the best livestock in Mississippi. This year we set another record for 484,000, some extra money has come in. We're probably going to go over half a million this year for the first time ever.

And again, we're proud to do it, but it just means we got to beat it again next year. Well, we'll we'll get started now raising money. I want to thank our legislators. They're out there. And, you know, Representative Price Wallace actually had the idea to form a legislative buying group. So they come in and bid on these animals and help get the funds up for the scholarships.

They came in and formed a great buying group and a lot of legislative interest in participation in what is the truly the best youth and workforce development program in Mississippi. But the livestock shows that these kids raise livestock. They they they work they feed them twice or three times a day, and then they come here and show them and they prove that they are not only our future leaders and their leaders right now, these kids are working kids and they're Mississippi kids.

And they are our future for this great state. And I'm proud to support them. And I want to thank the legislature for supporting them, too.

(Paul) There you go. Hey, you don't have to say it, but I will. It seems like everything you and your team touch over there is going to gold. Well, it's good stuff.

(Andy) It's it's not always gold, but I'll tell you what, I put it this way. We always reach high. We aim high. Cause you never you never do reach for the stars and get a handful of mud. All right, So keep reaching for the stars. That's right. Thank you all for having me. Thank you for what you do at MDOT. It is important. We look forward to continuing our relationship and partnering with the world and the good work that you do.

And thank you all for supporting agriculture.

(Will) Oh yeah, man. Absolutely. We'll get into our last couple of questions here. The fun ones for you. One of which I think you had just answered for us, you know? We like to eat. So you're going to the steakhouse at the Colosseum?

(Andy) Well, I tell you, I had that steak last night, and that's if you ask me, My favorite place to eat today is the Dixie National Steak House.

We we have a, Ms. Sheila over there that set this thing up for us, and it is fine. Fine piece of meat that she's been delivering over there with these steaks. And and it goes right along with our livestock and our rodeo theme. So I'm serious when I say I'm trying to find a way to keep that Dixie National Steak House a permanent fixture.

I know the legislators like it. They come by a lot. Yeah. And we're going to try to find a way to keep that thing going over the Coliseum. We'll we'll work something out.

(Will) My brain says, absolutely. My, my, my physique says, Lord, no, because now look, you've got the fried chicken being served every day over there.

(Andy) We got that on the farmer's market meat and three, you can get there for lunch every day. It's a great meal. But hey, why not have a steak house?

(Will) That's right. I want to have lunch. Lunch time with the steak. Just sounds like something I shouldn't do, but I might have to do it anyway.

(Paul) On a Friday afternoon, we'll do it. You know, there's limited time after, so we'll be okay.

All right. So we'll close you out, you know, with the music question. So I know there's a little bit of rodeo left, so maybe there's some some big bands, musicians playing or anybody else you want to talk about?

(Andy) Well, we had we had the biggest the biggest selling night of the rodeo was Megan Maroney.

Just is a huge hit among the young people. And she brought out a actually overflow crowd inside the Coliseum. Her her song about Tennessee Orange. Yeah, that's that song. You didn't know that that's her? Yeah. She brought them out in droves, young people. So we got a whole new generation of rodeo fans coming out, new kind of music and something for everybody.

We also paid tribute to Toby Keith, who died. We played the whole song. It was during the rodeo and we're going to miss him. He played I Should Have Been a Cowboy. Sometimes I feel that way myself.

(Will) But did you did you have a favorite performer this time around?

(Andy) Well, yeah. Tracy Lawrence yeah. Tracy Lawrence. He sounds just as good as he did back in the nineties, and I got to see him and visit with him and I thank him for what he does.

He did a great job, but that kind of dates me a little bit. I go back to the nineties.

(Will) Some of my favorite concerts at a venue. Yeah, performances I've ever been at where we're in the Coliseum at the Dixie National Rodeo.

(Andy) So we're keeping it going.

(Will) I love it.

(Paul) No doubt 90’s countries, nineties country is a beautiful thing.

Yeah. So anyway, we will close out the show Commissioner Gibson, like we're saying, well we really appreciate everything you do for us being a great teammate. So thanks for stopping by.

(Andy) Glad to do it. Appreciate you all and thanks for what you do to get our products from Mississippi agriculture along the highways and byways of Mississippi and get them to market and get them from the farm gate to our dinner plate.

Thank you all for what you do. Appreciate you.

(Will) I love it.

(Paul) Yes, sir. All right. We'll wrap the show there. We want to thank our listeners, our viewers, viewers for tuning in to the Extra Mile podcast. You can watch and listen to episodes by visiting. Gomdot.com forward, slash the extra mile. Follow us on social media at Mississippi DOT is the handle there. We want to thank our producer editor Drew Hall for making us go behind the scenes and remember to drive smart out there on Mississippi highways.

*OUTRO MUSIC*