FRANKFORT, Ky. — Nearly 20 years ago, the name Richie Farmer was synonymous with basketball, as he was the top high school player in the state, headed for a storied career at basketball’s legendary University of Kentucky.

Today, the name is still around – and has become identified with another equally rich state tradition, agriculture. Farmer was recently reelected as Kentucky agriculture commissioner, in a landslide decision.

The Clay County native’s first term came after the November 2003 race. A 1992 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Farmer earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in agricultural economics and agribusiness management. He worked as an investment advisor before taking office.

In a message posted on the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s website, Farmer thanked his supporters and said those in the state are ready to meet oncoming challenges.

“Kentucky agriculture faces some challenges. But I know that if we continue working together, we will meet them. Whether you’re a Democrat, a Republican or an Independent, there is far more that unites Kentuckians than divides us. Together, we can continue building a better future for our farm families and our rural communities, and for every citizen of this Commonwealth,” he said. In his first term, Farmer made the “Kentucky Proud” marketing effort a priority, overseeing an expansion in bringing recognition to state commodities. He recently spearheaded an effort to protect Kentucky motorists by persuading the legislature to fund a new state-of-the-art motor fuel quality laboratory.

Farmer has worked to promote the interests of producers, especially on the 2007 farm bill, by way of his service as president of the Southern Assoc. of State Departments of Agriculture. The organization represents farmers and other agricultural interests from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In 2007, he has worked to assist farmers through one of the worst years – agriculturally speaking – on record, helping with everything from securing waivers on transportation restrictions for hay-hauling vehicles to requesting assistance for those affected by the Easter freeze and the summer drought.

“This year’s weather has created a tremendous hardship for thousands of Kentucky farmers,” Farmer said. “I’ve heard from many farmers who tell me they’ve lost crop income or had to sell cattle because they can’t feed them. The emergency loans will help our farmers get through the winter and, hopefully, to better days ahead.”

Farmer also appointed a bipartisan, all-star panel to examine health care issues in rural Kentucky and develop recommendations for the 2008 Kentucky General Assembly.

“This group’s job is to comb through the numerous ideas that have been floated from both Republicans and Democrats, from industry and consumer groups, from doctors and patients, to find steps that we can take – not 20 years from now, not five years from now, but immediately – to address some of the problems facing us,” he said. The panel will look at the availability and affordability of health care and find ways to use fresh fruits and vegetables grown on Kentucky farms to alleviate the obesity problem in rural Kentucky.

Being a renowned basketball player will always be how many Kentuckians associate Richie Farmer; even his campaign signs sported a basketball goal. But, agriculture is the arena he prefers now.