Nominations sought for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Committee

Press release

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday a call for nominations to the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers.

First established in 1992, the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers advises the Secretary of Agriculture to enhance USDA’s goals for new farming and ranching operations. Members of the public are invited to submit nominations for themselves or other qualified experts by Oct. 10, 2023.

“New and beginning farmers — whether they come from farm families or are beginning their careers in agriculture — face unique challenges in accessing the land, credit, and training they need to succeed,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “USDA is committed to helping the beginning farmer, the young farmer, access and make use of USDA programs.”

USDA is soliciting nominations from interested organizations and individuals from among ranching and farming producers, related state and tribal agricultural entities, academic institutions, commercial banking entities, trade associations, and related nonprofit enterprises. An organization may nominate individuals from within or outside its membership. Interested candidates may also nominate themselves.

Nomination packages should include a cover letter describing the nominee’s interest, a resume that documents the nominee’s background and experience in five pages or less, and a completed USDA Advisory Committee Membership Background Information Form (AD-755, PDF, 2.1 MB), online at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-755.pdf .

Nominees may also provide links and samples of published writings related to matters affecting new farmers and ranchers and letters of endorsement — both of which are optional.

Nomination packages must be received by Oct. 10 and may be sent by email to [email protected] or by first-class mail to: USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE), 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Mail Stop 0601, Room 524-A, Washington, DC 20250.

For more information, contact R. Jeanese Cabrera, Designated Federal Officer, at [email protected] or visit the Advisory Committee on Beginner Farmers and Ranchers website.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America.

To learn more, people can visit https://www.usda.gov .