USDA Announces New Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Team

On Monday, the Department of Agriculture announced a new team of USDA staff that will lead a department-wide effort focused on serving beginning farmers and ranchers. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky said the move will help “support the next generation of agricultural producers who we will soon rely upon to grow our nation’s food and fiber.”

Sarah Campbell was selected as the national coordinator to lead USDA’s efforts. A beginning farmer herself, Campbell held previous positions with USDA and as Censky put it, has a wealth of experience working on issues impacting beginning farmers and ranchers.

Campbell 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.

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