Message from Dennis Taitano, FSA Acting Administrator

Hello and welcome to this month's edition of the Fence Post. I am honored to be delegated by Secretary Vilsack as your acting Administrator. I am committed to serving, representing and supporting the interests of our administration and country at the Farm Service Agency (FSA). During this interim period, I look forward to working with the many different sections of the FSA workforce as we continue to provide the best service possible to our nation's producers.

I believe strongly in American agriculture. I also believe in FSA's commitment as a service organization to American farmers. I recognize and appreciate the important role that each of you play, whether you are in a county office interacting with producers on a daily basis, or in our state and national offices providing necessary support to the frontline offices through the administration of FSA programs. It is truly an honorable mission to support the producers of the nation’s food and fiber.

We begin 2009 with the country facing extraordinary economic and fiscal challenges. Our federal government will play an instrumental role during this period of adjustment. The expectations for greater efficiency, transparency and accountability in the administration and delivery of federal programs are top priorities for President Obama and are consistent with FSA's priorities for nurturing and demonstrating a culture of service and results-focused continuous improvement. Funding levels and availability of resources will determine how fast we can make incremental improvements in each of these areas. I thank you for your continued commitment and dedication to FSA's mission.

Mr. Taitano serves as the Director in the Office of Budget and Finance at FSA. In January 2009, he was designated by Secretary Vilsack to serve as FSA acting Administrator.