Be the Link: Getting Involved

Posted on July 3, 2025 by cassiebable

By Madeline Alewine, Farm Service Agency

Tommy Salisbury stands in front of cattle.

First-generation farmer, Tommy Salisbury, serves as chairman on his FSA county committee in Oklahoma. Photo by Emily McGough, FSA.

It’s time once again for the USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) annual county committee elections. We’re introducing you to current committee members across the nation throughout the nomination period, which runs now through Aug. 1, 2025. This week, meet Tommy Salisbury of Rogers County, Okla.

Building a Future

Tommy Salisbury is a county committee chairman and leader in the agriculture industry. He makes a difference in his community and the agricultural industry by advocating for policies that will benefit local farmers and educating and helping develop future producers. The first-generation farmer has planted roots deep into the Collinsville community, determined to make an impact. Continue reading →

Posted in County Committee Elections | Leave a comment

Be the Link: Helping Others

Posted on June 26, 2025 by cassiebable
Don Lyons and Marcia Lyons stand by a tractor

Marcia Lyons stands with her husband, Don, on their family farm, SeaLyon. Photo courtesy of Marcia Lyons.

By Maria Granger, Farm Service Agency

It’s time once again for the USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) annual county committee elections. We’re introducing you to current committee members across the nation throughout the nomination period, which runs now through Aug. 1, 2025. This week, meet Marcia Lyons of Alna, Maine.  

Deeply Rooted 

Farming and agriculture are in Marcia Lyon’s blood.   

“My family’s history with farming and agriculture started when my grandparents came to America from Ireland. Our family has always had a love for animals and a desire to help and feed others,” said Marcia.     Continue reading →

Posted in County Committee Elections | Leave a comment

Be the Link: Being the Voice for Others

Posted on June 24, 2025 by cassiebable
Caitlin Roundtree on the left with her husband Kiley standing to her right and their young son standing in front of them.

Caitlin Roundtree with her husband Kiley and their son at their family farm near Parks, Nebraska. Photo courtesy of Caitlin Roundtree.

By Bobbie Kriz-Wickham, Farm Service Agency

It’s time once again for the USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) annual county committee elections. We’re introducing you to current committee members across the nation throughout the nomination period, which runs now through Aug. 1, 2025. This week, meet Caitlin Roundtree of Parks, Nebraska.

Caitlin and her husband, Kiley, have a diversified farm, where they raise wheat, corn, milo and popcorn and have a cow-calf herd. They have one son, 6, who just marked his kindergarten graduation. Caitlin has a full-time, off-farm job as a merchandiser for a grain elevator in the area.

All of these things add up to a busy life, but not so busy that she hasn’t found time for public service. Caitlin is in the first year of her second three-year Dundy County Committee term. She currently serves as the committee’s vice president. Continue reading →

Posted in County Committee Elections | Leave a comment

Celebrating 25 Years of USDA’s Farm Storage Facility Loan Program

Posted on May 20, 2025 by cassiebable

Emblem with a barn and two grain bins in the center with the words Farm Storage Facility Loan Program 25th Anniversary, Since 2000, USDA-FSABy Kathryn Fidler, USDA

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is celebrating 25 years of the agency’s popular Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL) this month. For a quarter century, family-owned agricultural operations have received low-interest financing through the program to enhance or expand their operations and manage marketing of the commodities they produce by building or upgrading permanent and portable storage facilities and purchasing needed handling equipment. 

“Participating in FSA’s Farm Storage Facility Loans program provides producers affordable financing that allows them to build an on-farm storage system the right way from day one — a system that provides grain handling capacity for years to come,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “Many people think of grain storage when they hear on-farm commodity storage, but the reality is, the program has expanded over the past quarter century to include a variety of storage and handling options including bins, cold storage, trucks and more, all designed to help agricultural producers take their commodities from field to facility to the end user.”   Continue reading →

Posted in Features | Comments Off on Celebrating 25 Years of USDA’s Farm Storage Facility Loan Program

Ask the Expert: A Q&A with Jayce Hafner on the new FSA Educational Hub hosted by FarmRaise

Posted on December 19, 2024 by cassiebable

Jayce Hafner, Chief Executive Officer, FarmRaise. Photo courtesy of FarmRaise, Inc.

By Diane Petit, Public Affairs Specialist 

In early 2024, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) unveiled new online decision tools for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), as well as farm loan resources available to agricultural producers and cooperators who help producers access USDA disaster assistance, farm loans, and other federal farm programs. The tools and the informational resources, developed through a cooperative agreement between FarmRaise and FSA, are available at www.farmraise.com/usda-fsa.   

The partnership between FarmRaise, Inc. and FSA improves producer participation and customer experience in USDA programs through education and technical assistance to young, beginning, and small-scale to mid-sized producers, producers with disabilities, and veterans. USDA cooperators, like FarmRaise, are organizations on the frontlines of access and often are the first point of contact connecting farmers to USDA programs. 

In this Ask the Expert, Jayce Hafner, FarmRaise’s Chief Executive Officer, answers questions about FarmRaise, the partnership with FSA and the new FSA Educational Hub.  Continue reading →

Posted in News | Comments Off on Ask the Expert: A Q&A with Jayce Hafner on the new FSA Educational Hub hosted by FarmRaise

Farm Service Agency Library Hours Give Cleveland Residents Chance to Learn about Opportunities in Agriculture

Posted on December 10, 2024 by cassiebable

Cleveland FSA Urban Executive Director Tristam Mizak, right, talks to a library patron about FSA programs available for new producers, as well as the opportunities offered by Ohio State and Central State Extension. Photo by Benjamin Potter, FSA.

By Farm Service Agency, Ohio 

Out of an office in suburban Ravenna, Ohio, the Cleveland USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) serves a community that is two counties away. Cleveland’s USDA Urban Service Cener was announced in fall of 2023 as part of USDA’s effort to broaden agriculture opportunities in large cities. It was one of 17 announced at that time.  

Since then, Tristam Mizak, the Urban County Executive Director for the Cleveland office, has been operating from an office in neighboring Ravenna, as officials work to secure appropriate space in the heart of Cleveland. But that hasn’t stopped Tristam from reaching out to potential urban customers.  Continue reading →

Posted in Features, Urban | Comments Off on Farm Service Agency Library Hours Give Cleveland Residents Chance to Learn about Opportunities in Agriculture

Making a Difference with Honeybees

Posted on August 16, 2024 by cassiebable

Meet Kirstin Bailey of Fox Run Farms, a diversified family operation in Brainard, Nebraska. Photo by Sydney Erickson, FSA.

By Sydney Erickson, Farm Service Agency 

Meet Kirstin Bailey of Fox Run Farms, a diversified family operation in Brainard, Nebraska. Kirstin and her family transformed the farm in the early 2000s, planting the beginnings of their vineyard and adding specialty crops soon after. As the farm began to grow, Kirstin discovered new opportunities for growth and sustainability with honeybees, showing that busy bees can make a big difference.  

Finding a Solution  

Walking around Kirstin’s family farm, it is easy to see the history of Fox Run Farms. Sheds, large and small barns, and a vineyard showcase the generations that have helped it become what it is today.   Continue reading →

Posted in Features | Comments Off on Making a Difference with Honeybees

Introducing Metro Atlanta Students to the Importance of Agriculture

Posted on August 13, 2024 by cassiebable

FSA staff in Georgia coordinated events that introduced farm animals and hands-on agricultural education to over 1,600 students in the Metro Atlanta area.

By Jay Ivey, Farm Service Agency

In the midst of Metro Atlanta’s urban environment, agriculture may seem like a distant concept to many students. However, three events hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Georgia aimed to change that by introducing farm animals and hands-on agricultural education to over 1,600 students. Events at Chattahoochee Hills Charter School, Luther J. Price Middle School, and Lovin Elementary School brought the farm directly to the classroom, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of agriculture among the students, teachers, parents, and stakeholders.   Continue reading →

Posted in Features, Urban | Comments Off on Introducing Metro Atlanta Students to the Importance of Agriculture

Be the Link: Driving Positive Change

Posted on July 31, 2024 by cassiebable

Alicia Nesbary Moore is an urban farmer in Chicago, Illinois. Photo courtesy of Herban Produce.

By Mary Kirby, Farm Service Agency 

It’s time once again for the USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) annual county committee elections. We’re introducing you to current committee members across the nation throughout the nomination period, which runs now through Aug. 1, 2024. This week, meet Alicia Nesbary Moore of Chicago.

The Perfect Solution

Alicia’s passion for agriculture blossomed during graduate school where her thesis focused on cereal crop genomics.

“I struggled to find my path as a scientist, wanting my work to directly benefit my community,” she said. “Urban agriculture provided the perfect solution, allowing me to apply my scientific knowledge while serving my community.” Continue reading →

Posted in County Committee Elections, Features, Urban | Comments Off on Be the Link: Driving Positive Change

Be the Link: Collaboration and Connection

Posted on July 25, 2024 by cassiebable

Melva McGee Johnson serves as a member on her FSA county committee in Brazos County, Texas. Photo by Joshua Coleman, FSA.

By Joshua Coleman, Farm Service Agency

It’s time once again for the USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) annual county committee elections. We’re introducing you to current committee members across the nation throughout the nomination period, which runs now through Aug. 1, 2024. This week, meet Melva McGee Johnson of Brazos County, Texas.

Instilled and Embraced

Farming and agriculture have been instilled in Melva McGee Johnson her entire life. For generations, Melva’s family has embraced farming as a way of life.

“Farming and agriculture is all I knew growing up as a child.  I was raised on a farm which was right next door,” Melva said. “Our first cow was named Susie, we had chickens and hogs. We planted and produced peas, corn, watermelons and other vegetables. In the early years, my dad used my grandfather’s mule to assist with planting our small crops. The crops were used for consumption and sales.” Continue reading →

Posted in County Committee Elections, Features | Comments Off on Be the Link: Collaboration and Connection