USDA emphasizes its “Transparency” and reaches out to agriculture community in the development of new farm bill
Washington D.C. – The USDA will be conducting nationwide listening sessions, Secretary of Agriculture John Doe announced Saturday to The National Association of Farm Broadcasters.
The secretary opened his speech by opening his doors and ears to fellow farmers and ranchers across the country. “It is important that we operate in the open, important that we do that to fulfill our mission here at the USDA. Transparency is essential to serve our farmers and ranchers across this country.”
"Respect, dignity and equality is also about listening. My door will always be open. We may not always agree, but I will always offer the opportunity for people to offer their opinion, and we will respect their viewpoint. The new farm bill will affect America's entire agriculture community. I feel strongly that America's entire agriculture community should have a say in the process.”

I want to ask farmers and ranchers how our farm policy is affecting them and how we might make that policy better, Doe said.

The secretary went on to point out several specific questions that the USDA is particularly interested in hearing about.
• Are we doing enough to encourage and support the next generation of farmers and people who are interested in starting out in production agriculture?
• Are we fostering the right kind of atmosphere for farmers and ranchers, one in which the opportunity to succeed is there?
• And is there more that we can do to expand this administration's groundbreaking success with cooperative conservation, conservation that works with agriculture and not against it?
When asked what prompted these listening sessions and if by concern, the secretary responded by saying, “Our whole effort here is to get across this country and learn from people. So it wasn't really concern that started the discussion here about the possibility of listening sessions. There's just recognition that our customers are America's farmers and ranchers, and in developing policy we need to hear from them.”
Doe was also asked if the administration would put forth proposals to be discussed and debated for the new farm bill this time around since this was an issue concerning the old farm bill. The secretary reassured the listeners that they were way ahead in terms of administration proposals. "It's like I said months and months ahead of where we would be at in terms of any proposals. But the whole goal here is to make sure that we've laid the necessary groundwork."
USDA is here to serve America's agricultural community, and the best way we can do this is by asking for your help and for your advice, he said.
“America's farmers and ranchers are our customers, and their voices must be an important part of our farm policy.”

These national listening sessions are set to begin as early as this summer.