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Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs

John Berge

Acting Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs
Farm Service Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Washington. D.C.

In March of 2023, John Berge was appointed to serve as the Acting Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).  Prior, Berge had been appointed by the Biden Administration to serve as the FSA State Executive Director in Nebraska.

Berge is a western Nebraska native who grew up on a corn and wheat farm north of Lisco, Nebraska.

In 2009, Berge was appointed as White House Liaison to USDA by President Obama where he was the principal liaison between the Executive Office of the President and the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture. He was later appointed as Deputy and Acting Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations and was a member of the Sub-Cabinet and Senior Policy Group. Berge also served as the Deputy Administrator for Field Operations with FSA, and as Executive Director of the National Food and Agriculture Council.

Prior to his appointment, Berge served as General Manager of the North Platte Natural Resources District. Earlier in his career, he served as Executive Director of the Western Nebraska Community College Foundation and has also served on the staffs of U.S. Senators Jim Exon, Bob Kerrey, and Ben Nelson.

Berge has served in many leadership roles for the Platte Basin Coalition, Nebraska Water Resources Association, US Global Leadership Coalition, and the Nebraska Conservation Roundtable. He was also involved in local and regional water management projects and served on the local Chamber of Commerce.

He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Omaha, holds a Certificate in Climate Change and Energy from the Harvard Kennedy School, and is completing a Master of Applied Science in environmental studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Berge and his wife Kerri and their son and daughter live in Lincoln, Nebraska. He enjoys hiking, camping, and fishing.