Chad and Melissa Wise started their livestock operation in 2012 and their herd has grown to 55 head today.

By Lauren Moore, Public Affairs Specialist, FSA Office of External Affairs

Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Echo are just five of 55 beef cows living on Chad and Melissa Wise’s cattle farm in Fort Scott, Kansas.

Aside from the farm, Chad is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and an assistant professor at the Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Melissa is a certified public accountant (CPA) and runs her own accounting business. After getting married in 2000, Chad and Melissa lived in eight states and over the last 15 years, Chad has been deployed to Korea, Egypt, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. In 2012, when Chad was notified that he would be serving back-to-back deployments, the couple decided to put down roots in Fort Scott, Melissa’s hometown. The same year, Melissa opened her CPA office and they started their beef cattle operation. Continue reading →

Lehman Farms grows organic oats which are sent to Grain Millers, Inc. where they are used in cereals, bars and breads.

By Lauren Moore, Assistant Public Affairs Specialist

Lehman Farms has been a part of Iowa’s agriculture industry since the 1800s.

After immigrating to the Polk County area from Switzerland, the Lehman family started their farm in 1868. The legacy of this family lives on through Aaron Lehman, a fifth-generation farmer who is still operating on the land his ancestors originally acquired 148 years ago.

“I really enjoy being connected with the land,” Aaron said. “Growing up, I saw how devoted my parents were to their land and animals. I love getting to work outside with my family.” Continue reading →

In the agriculture industry, where less than two percent of the population grows the food and fiber consumed by our entire population, it can be easy for consumers to overlook the people responsible for planting, maintaining, and harvesting this important resource. The local and regional food movement has helped to restore a direct connection between consumers and the farmers and ranchers who produce our food.

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) is highlighting a Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food series to showcase local producers across the United States.  In fact, between 2009 and 2015, USDA has invested over $1 billion in more than 40,000 local and regional food businesses and infrastructure projects.

Check back each week to meet the producers who grow the agricultural commodities that are found in your pantry, refrigerator, local grocery store and restaurants in your region.

For more information about local food and markets visit http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/knowyourfarmer?navid=kyf-kyf. For more information on FSA programs and loans visit www.fsa.usda.gov or contact your local FSA office. To locate an office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.