USDA has started a new team of staff that will lead a department-wide effort on helping 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.”
The 2018 Farm Bill directed USDA to create a national coordinator and state-level coordinators for the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Risk Management Agency and Rural Development for the new team.
Each state coordinator will receive training and develop beginning farmer outreach plans for the state.
