Richard Fordyce has been appointed as the Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, marking his return to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Fordyce, a Missouri farmer, previously served in the Trump administration as the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency. His new role will oversee key agencies that directly serve farmers and ranchers, including the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Risk Management Agency (RMA).
During an interview with Susan Littlefield, Fordyce expressed both excitement and humility about the opportunity. “Going back to USDA to work on behalf of America’s farmers and ranchers is like—it’s just, I mean, it’s very humbling,” he said.
Fordyce’s agricultural background gives him firsthand experience with the agencies he will now oversee. As a lifelong farmer, he has worked with FSA for acreage reporting, collaborated with NRCS on conservation efforts, and relied on RMA for crop insurance. He noted that this experience will help him connect with farmers and ensure their needs are met.
Before assuming his new role, Fordyce must go through a Senate confirmation process. He acknowledged that the landscape of agriculture and farm policy has changed in the past four years, so he plans to assess the current challenges and opportunities before setting specific goals.
For now, Fordyce remains focused on preparing for his confirmation hearing and looking forward to serving American farmers and ranchers once again.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour. She was recently named the 2024 Farm Broadcaster of the Year by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting and serves as a Council Member on the World Agriculture Forum. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley and now divides her time between California and North Dakota.