A news release today from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) stated that, “The [USDA] is standing up a new team of [USDA] staff that will lead a department-wide effort focused on serving beginning farmers and ranchers.
“‘More than a quarter of producers are beginning farmers,’ said USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky. ‘We need to support the next generation of agricultural producers who we will soon rely upon to grow our nation’s food and fiber.’
“To institutionalize support for beginning farmers and ranchers and to build upon prior agency work, the 2018 Farm Bill directed USDA to create a national coordinator position in the agency and state-level coordinators for four of its agencies – Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Risk Management Agency (RMA), and Rural Development (RD).”
Today’s update added that, “Sarah Campbell was selected as the national coordinator to lead USDA’s efforts. A beginning farmer herself, Campbell held previous positions with USDA and has a wealth of experience working on issues impacting beginning farmers and ranchers. She recently served as acting director of customer experience for the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, where she led the piloting of innovative, customer-centric initiatives.
“In her new role, she will work closely with the state coordinators to develop goals and create plans to increase beginning farmer participation and access to programs while coordinating nationwide efforts on beginning farmers and ranchers.”
