WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces the appointment of 15 new members to the Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers (ACMF). The newly appointed members serve terms of up to two years.
“Minority farmers face unique challenges in accessing the land, credit, and training they need to succeed,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This committee is part of USDA’s commitment to ensure that all farmers have equal access to USDA programs and services, especially minority farmers and producers in underserved communities.”
Newly appointed members are:
Sarah E. Bell, Alabama
Amalia Zimmerman-Lommel, California
Jacqueleen Bido, Florida
Sedrick K. Rowe, Jr., Georgia
Jeremy L. Hendrix, Louisiana
Carolyn G. Jones, Mississippi
Delmar Stamps, Mississippi
Anita Lee, New York
Julian R. Mangano, New York
Arnetta Cotton, Oklahoma
Elsa Sanchez, Pennsylvania
Willette M. Crawford, South Carolina
Kimberly M. Ratcliff, Texas
Christina Chanes, U.S. Virgin Islands/U.S. Territories
Mercy Kariuki-McGee, Washington
Committee members represent socially disadvantaged farmers, nonprofit organizations, civil rights organizations or professions, and institutions of higher education.
The Advisory Committee for Minority Farmers was established by Congress in the Food Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 to ensure that underserved farmers have equal access to USDA programs. Committee members advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the administration of the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Competitive Grant Program. They also make recommendations to the Secretary on how to increase minority participation in USDA programs.
USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE) provides administrative staff support for the work initiated by the committee. OPPE develops and maintains partnerships focused on solutions to challenges facing rural and underserved communities and connects those communities to the education, tools, and resources available to them through USDA programs and initiatives.
For more information, visit the Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers 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, visit www.usda.gov.
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