MCDONOUGH, GEORGIA (Farm Monitor) — Georgia farmers recently had the opportunity to speak directly with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) leadership, sharing challenges they are facing on the farm. The discussion comes at a time when profitability and labor remain top concerns across the agriculture industry.
USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden attended an event hosted by the Georgia Farm Bureau, giving producers a chance to voice those concerns face-to-face. Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) National Affairs Coordinator Ben Parker says hearing directly from farmers is key.
“It’s important that there’s not a disconnect,” Parker said. “That a deputy secretary can come down here and hear directly from our producers and farmers of what they’re facing in their day-to-day operations.”
GFB President Tom McCall stressed how conversations like these are critical to ensuring policymakers fully understand the realities of farming today.
“These are not theories that he heard today,” McCall said. “These are not some kind of news report. These are actual Farmers that actually got to sit down with the deputy secretary and tell him the state of the farm economy.”
They also used the opportunity to express appreciation for recent USDA efforts, including bridge payments and labor reforms. Leaders say farm profitability and food security remain closely tied to national security.
