U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of 20 members to serve on the Advisory Committee for New and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (ACBFR). The newly appointed members serve terms of up to two years through 2021.

Members newly appointed to serve two-year terms are:

Davon L. Goodwin, Raeford, N.C.

Katie R. Carpenter, Attica, N.Y.

Casey Spradley, Cuba, N.M.

Jacob W. Handsaker, Radcliffe, Iowa

Adam M. Brown, Decatur, Ill.

Amanda Jo Carey, Morley, Mich.

Paul Bickford, Ridgeway, Wisc.

Jason Brand, Honolulu, Hawaii

Jeffry R. Gittins, Smithfield, Utah

Denis Ebodaghe (USDA NIFA)

Latrice Hill (USDA FSA)

R. Alan Hoskins, Evansville, Ind.

Tony Gudajtes, Minto, N.D.

Juli Obudzinski, Washington, D.C.

John Bailey, Ukiah, Calif.

Elicia L. Chaverest, Madison, Ala.

Shelby Swain Myers, Crawfordsville, Ind.

Liya Schwartzman, Sacramento, Calif.

Anusuya Rangarajan, Freeville, N.Y.

James Carl Hafer, Colstrip, Mont. is re-appointed to serve a one-year term.

“USDA welcomes the voices of this new advisory team,” said Secretary Perdue. “The Committee’s recommendations have been, and will continue to be, thoughtful and representative of feedback from America’s farmers, ranchers, and stakeholders served by the Department. New and beginning farmers are the future of American agriculture, and we must ensure they are successful.”

The Committee is made up of 20 members, including representatives for: state beginning farming programs; commercial lenders; private nonprofit organizations with active beginning farmer or rancher programs, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture; the Farm Service Agency; community colleges or other educational institutions with demonstrated experience in training beginning farmers and ranchers, and other entities or persons providing lending or technical assistance for qualified beginning farmers and ranchers. Congress authorized the Committee in 1992 and since its inception, the ACBFR has been an important part of the USDA strategy to engage, support and service new and beginning farmers. The Committee is funded by the Farm Service Agency. USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE) provides oversight which ensures fiscal accountability and program integrity.