Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold is applauding Congress for appropriating $1.7 million in funding for a new office that will assist underrepresented farmers.  The USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach, which Feingold helped to establish in 2008, will now have funding to focus on outreach, policies and programs for farmers who need help the most, including small farmers and beginning farmers and ranchers.  For example, the new office will be looking out for the interests of small family farms that are common in Wisconsin, to make sure the programs being implemented in Wisconsin will work for them. 

“For too long, small farms, beginning farmers and others have not had an office advocating for them across the different divisions in the Department of Agriculture,” Feingold said.  “I am pleased Congress provided funding for the Office of Advocacy and Outreach so that it can raise the profile of, and improve access to, USDA programs that assist farmers who need it most.”

The USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach was established in the 2008 Farm Bill.  The office will have two divisions – the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers group and the Small and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Groups.  The Small and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Group was based on a successful amendment by Senator Feingold and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) in response to a September 2007 GAO report that found USDA needed to do more to coordinate and set crosscutting goals to address the needs of small and beginning farmers.  

A copy of the GAO report can be viewed here.