USDA Sets Up New Team to Better Serve Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va., August 6, 2020 – A new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) team has been assembled to lead a department-wide effort focused on serving beginning farmers and ranchers that will make resources more readily available to Virginia producers.

To institutionalize support for beginning farmers and ranchers and to build upon prior agency work, the 2018 Farm Bill directed USDA to create a national coordinator position in the agency and state-level coordinators for four of its agencies – Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Risk Management Agency (RMA), and Rural Development (RD).

Sherina Logan was selected to serve as Virginia’s state coordinator in August 2019.  She earned her bachelor's degree in Information Systems and Decision Sciences from Virginia State University and began her federal career as a program technician with the FSA. A native of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, Logan has been with the agency over 25 years, serving as the county executive director in the Northern Neck FSA office for 20 years.  The Northern Neck FSA office supports diverse farming operations to include nurseries, vineyards, livestock, aquaculture, dairy, fruits, vegetables and row crops.

The team coordinating Virginia’s beginning farmers and rancher efforts also includes Anne Herring, community solution specialist with Rural Development; Lucee Kossler, acting area resource conservationist for NRCS Area I; and Edward Gregory, a risk management specialist with FPAC-RMA. This is a collateral duty for all team members.

Each state coordinator will receive training and develop outreach plans tailored for beginning farmers in their state. Coordinators will help field employees better reach and serve beginning farmers and ranchers and will also be available to assist beginning farmers who need help navigating the variety of resources USDA has to offer. 

USDA offers a variety of farm loan, risk management, disaster assistance and conservation programs to support farmers, including beginning farmers and ranchers. Additionally, a number of these programs have provisions specifically for beginning farmers, including targeted funding for loans and conservation programs as well as waivers and exemptions.

More Information

Learn more about USDA’s resources for beginning farmers and meet the national and state-level coordinators at farmers.gov/newfarmers. For more information on available programs in your area, contact your local USDA Service Center.