WASHINGTON, August 14, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the appointment of 20 new members to the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Advisory Committee. This committee is part of USDA’s support for equitable access to USDA services and programs and the creation of more market opportunities for local and regional production.
“The next generation of farmers, whether they are continuing a multi-generational operation or starting a new one, deserve the best opportunities,” said Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small. “The Biden-Harris Administration is convening this committee to ensure young farmers have a voice in policies that level the playing field for small and mid-sized producers, strengthen rural economies, and improve food safety and security.”
Committee members represent livestock and agricultural producers, related state and tribal agricultural entities, academic institutions, commercial banking entities, trade associations, and related nonprofit businesses. All committee members have a proven track record of serving on behalf of beginning and new farmers, minorities, women, and persons with disabilities, and representing small operations and geographic diversity. Committee members serve in academia, industry, government, public health agencies, and industry and consumer organizations.
The members appointed to the committee are:
Regular Government Employees (RGE)
Denis Ebodaghe, Washington, DC, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
Sarah Campbell, Washington, DC, Farm Service Agency (FSA)
State Programs for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
David Robbins, California
Christopher Laughton, CT
Shelby Myers, Indiana
Non-profit organizations
Thai Nguyen, Colorado
Chandler Mulvaney, Colorado
Jeanette Lombardo, Texas
Loutrina Staley, Alabama
Kathryn Brandt, Michigan
Higher education institutions
E'licia Chaverest, Alabama
Gregory Goins, North Carolina
Jonathan LaPorte, Indiana
Technical and other assistance
Alexandria Moxley, Montana
Edward Hunt, North Carolina
Farmers and breeders
Nancy Brannaman, Iowa
Darlene Goodgame, Georgia
Joseluis Ortiz, New Mexico
Ana Rodriguez, Puerto Rico
Dustin Wiese, Minnesota
Established in 1992, the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (ACBFR) advises the Secretary of Agriculture on strategies, policies, and programs that improve opportunities for beginning farmers and ranchers.
USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE) provides administrative support to the work initiated by the committee. OPPE develops and maintains partnerships focused on solutions to challenges facing rural and underserved communities and connects these communities to the education, tools, and resources available to them through USDA programs and initiatives.
For more information, visit the website of the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Advisory Committee.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans every day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system by increasing its focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in every community, creating new markets and income streams for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in clean energy infrastructure and capacity in rural America, and committing to equity across the department by removing systemic barriers and creating a workforce that is more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
#
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
English 
French