Ron Sparks, Alabama’s former commissioner of agriculture and industries, says he is seriously considering another run for the office, citing concerns about the state of farming, food safety, land preservation and what he describes as a decline in services for Alabama producers.
Sparks, who served as agriculture commissioner for eight years between 2002 and 2010 before terming out and running for governor, said the idea of returning to the department was not something he initially planned.
He said encouragement from farmers and agricultural groups across the state, combined with what he sees as mounting challenges in the industry, led him to reconsider…