Mosely Resigns from USDA No. 2 Post to Return Back to Farming

Deputy Secretary James Moseley has resigned from his No. 2 post at the USDA to return to his farm in Indiana. After four years of being away from his Tippecanoe County farm, he says it's time to spend more time with his wife and kids.

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns has asked Moseley to stay on at USDA until June 1 as a special advisor to continue his work on rebuilding the agricultural infrastructure in Afghanistan.

Johanns says the partnership Moseley has fostered with the Afghan government and it's people is "not only helping feed and clothe Afghan citizens, but it also is helping spread democracy."

Moseley, a pork producer and grain farmer, first worked for the federal government in 1989 as a liaison between farm groups and the Environmental Protection Agency. During the first President Bush's administration he was picked to be assistant agriculture secretary for natural resources. Over the past four years he has spent most of his time addressing vulnerabilities in the U.S. food supply after the 9/11 attacks.

Press reports indicate Chuck Conner, White House agriculture adviser and another Indiana native, may be the lead runner for Moseley's replacement.