Maine Ag Commissioner Amanda Beal to Lead NASDA Through Pivotal Year

Beal joined us on Friday’s Market Day Report to discuss her election to NASDA’s presidency, challenges facing American agriculture, and her background as a Mainer and dairy farmer.

PORTLAND, Me. (RFD-TV) — Amanda Beal, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, has been elected as the incoming president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA). Beal will lead the organization for the next year, focusing on advancing the U.S. farm sector and supporting state agriculture departments nationwide.

Beal joined us on Friday’s Market Day Report to discuss her election to NASDA’s presidency, the priorities outlined at the recent annual meeting, and the challenges facing American agriculture today.

AmandaBeal-300_0.jpg

Amanda Beal, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, was recently elected president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).

Photo by Benjamin Clay

In her interview with RFD-TV News, Beal shared reflections on growing up on her family’s dairy farm in Maine and how that background shaped her career in agriculture. She discussed stepping into her new leadership role at a pivotal time for the industry, highlighting her professional and personal motivations as NASDA president.

Beal also outlined the key priorities she plans to tackle with her team, including supporting farmers through labor, weather, and market challenges, as well as ensuring the sustainability of U.S. agriculture. She provided insight into the ongoing conversations around federal aid programs for farmers and shared her perspective on both short-term relief and long-term solutions.

Finally, Beal offered her perspective on what producers are experiencing in Maine during harvest and how NASDA plans to address broader issues impacting the farming community nationwide, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and proactive policy initiatives.

Related Stories
Meet agronomist and Soybean FarmHER Jenny Mennenga of LeRoy, Illinois. Jenny also grew up on a small farm in Iowa!
Meet Ashley Bandoni from California. By day, she’s in seed sales. By night, she’s a fourth-generation almond FarmHER.
When tragedy struck at Westfork Horse Ranch, owner/FarmHER Amy Heitland used her story to spread her passion for horses to the future generation of girls.
Kate Johnson didn’t set out to become an expert on all things cheese—but today, this FarmHER is the owner/founder of The Art of Cheese School where she teaches chefs at every level.
Cristen Clark knows a thing or two about exactly what her blog title says: Food and Swine. Learn more about a day in her life.
The Colorado ranch where Elin operates her business just happens to be the same ranch where she spent her summers as a child.
Growing up as a sixth-generation Iowa FarmHER, Lexi Marek’s first passion is her pigs. She started showing pigs at livestock shows early on at the young age of five.
Meet RanchHER Renee Strickland of Strickland Ranch and Exporting. Headquartered in Myakka City, Florida, Strickland and her husband export cattle around the world.
Veterans from as far back as the Second World War were joined in the procession by law enforcement officers, firefighters, Civil War re-enactors, and an assortment of colorful and enthusiastic supporters for the 2016 Veterans Day parade in Nashville, TN.

Agriculture Shows
From soil to harvest. Top Crop is an all-new series about four of the best farmers in the world—Dan Luepkes, of Oregan, Illinois; Cory Atley, of Cedarville, Ohio; Shelby Fite, of Jackson Center, Ohio; Russell Hedrick, of Hickory, North Carolina—reveals what it takes for them to make a profitable crop. It all starts with good soil, patience, and a strong planter setup.
Champions of Rural America is a half-hour dive into the legislative priorities for Rural America. Join us as we interview members of the Congressional Western Caucus to learn about efforts in Washington to preserve agriculture and tackles the most important topics in the ag industry on Champions of Rural America!
Featuring members of Congress, federal and state officials, ag and food leaders, farmers, and roundtable panelists for debates and discussions.
The goal of “Where the Food Comes From” is as simple as its name implies — host Chip Carter takes you along on the journey of where our food comes from — and we don’t just mean to the supermarket (though that’s part of the big picture!). But beyond where it comes from, how it gets there, and all the links in the chain that make that happen.
Join markets specialist Scott Shellady, better known as the Cow Guy, as he covers the market-close, breaking down headlines that drive the commodities and equities markets with commentary from respected industry heavyweights.