Life's going to be a little more difficult for reporters looking for information from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

And that could mean lesser quality information or a delay in getting agriculture news to the public.

The reason for the expected hard times is because the department's media relations people are gone after today. They will be replaced Monday by hand-picked people awarded the jobs by in-coming governor John Kasich.

It happens with every administration change but it never made any sense. Not when such other agencies as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency retains all but the Number One (or maybe, Number Two as well) spokesman or spokeswoman.

Come Monday the media will have to hope that whoever fills the public information slots will know a thing or two about emerald ash borers, gypsy moths, chronic wasting disease and the price of a bushel of corn along with how to apply for various agency grants.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com