farm service agency

Earlier this month Congressman Porter had the opportunity to sit down with Ted McKinney, the former Under Secretary at the US Department of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, and now the CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.  They discussed the complexities of the Farm Bill and its direct impact on families, businesses, and communities across the US. From funding various food services to agricultural projects and nutrition programs - the Farm Bill plays a pivotal role in ensuring food safety and availability to all Americans. 

The pandemic has underscored the importance of fostering a more resilient food system, from supply chains to safety nets. As we near the end of 2020, we’re asking, what are the top policy priorities as we look towards the new year and the new administration? We look closely at the connection between federal policy and local food, exploring three federal policy priorities that would strengthen regional food systems and preserve local culinary culture. Hear from experts about their proposals for forging more holistic government contracts that prioritize regional,  independent and sustainable farms; deferring principal payments on Farm Service Agency loans as a means to support native farmers and stimulate tribal economies; and passing the RESTAURANTS Act to help independent restaurants make up for lost revenue. 

This episode is part of a three-episode mini-series created in collaboration with The Rockefeller Foundation. To learn more about the Foundation's Food Initiative and global commitments, visit rockefellerfoundation.org/commitment/food.

Have a question you want answered? Email us at question@heritageradionetwork.org

This project is funded in part by a Humanities New York CARES Grant with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the federal CARES Act. 

This program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

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In 1987, when Congress voted to keep the Farm Credit System going with an infusion of funds, a contingency was that each of the system institutions needed to have a young, beginner and small farmer program. With the average age of the U.S. farmer pegged at 57.5 years, that young, beginner and small farmer program is a particular focus of the current chairman of the Farm Credit Administration.

In this episode, Feedstuffs  editor Jacqui Fatka talks with Farm Credit Administration Chairman and CEO Glen Smith, an Iowa farmer who has led the regulatory arm of the federal Farm Credit apparatus since 2017. Smith said he sees a common theme in successful young and beginning farmer programs: a good relationship with the Farm Service Agency (FSA), in particular with regard to access to that agency’s guaranteed loan programs for beginning farmers.

RELATED STORY: FSA, Farm Credit Administration refocus on younger farmers

This episode is sponsored by Hog Slat; from cleanup to startup, we're here to supply the products you need.  As close as your local Hog Slat store or order online at www.hogslat.com. 

For more information on this and other stories, visit  Feedstuffs  online.
Follow Feedstuffs on Twitter @Feedstuffs, or join the conversation via Facebook.

Meat, poultry, dairy and grain markets were all rocked by COVID-19 in the early months of 2020, and the ongoing repercussions from the pandemic injected massive uncertainty for farmers throughout the rest of the year. As with a variety of industries, agriculture was the beneficiary of government stimulus efforts coordinated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency.

In this episode we talk with the administrator of FSA, the arm of USDA tasked with delivering a variety of financial programs enacted by Congress and delivered through the Department, about the alphabet soup of programs designed to help mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19 on the farm economy.

Richard Fordyce is a fourth-generation farmer from Bethany, Missouri, and has served as FSA Administrator since May of 2018 after serving as the state executive director for FSA in Missouri and as Missouri Director of Agriculture. In a conversation with Feedstuffs policy editor Jacqui Fatka, Fordyce explains the difference between the two Coronavirus Food Assistance Programs approved by Congress and how much of the more than $30 million allocated for the programs has been paid to farmers through mid-October.

For more information on this and other stories, visit  Feedstuffs online.
Follow Feedstuffs on Twitter @Feedstuffs, or join the conversation via Facebook.