The newly appointed Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture stopped by the RFD-TV Studio

A rural Tennessee native with deep roots in FFA and 4-H is now set to lead USDA’s efforts to advance ag innovation and foster the next generation of industry leaders.

Dr. Jaye Hamby has been appointed as the Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

He stopped by the RFD-TV Studio and spoke with Suzanne Alexander on his ag background, what this position means to him, and his message to producers.

Related Stories
Sen. Roger Marshall discusses the Senate’s unanimous passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act and what expanded milk options could mean for students and dairy farmers. Industry groups say it is a win for student nutrition and dairy producers.
Supplemental Disaster Relief Program Stage Two will disburse around $16 billion, approved by Congress last year. Sign-ups begin Monday, and producers have until April to return applications.
An outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (EHV-1) first appeared after livestock events in Texas and Arizona, and some horses have already died.
Early Cattle-on-Feed estimates point to slightly tighter cattle supplies, reinforcing the need to monitor prices and timing for winter marketing.
Row crop losses in 2025 are outpacing last year. With no disaster aid yet approved, many operations face a tough financial bridge to 2026 even as Farm Bill improvements remain a year away.