Iowa?s new Farm Service Agency executive director is a Marion County producer who has a lot of goals for the agency.
The Biden administration appointed Matthew Russell as the new State Executive Director for the USDA Iowa Farm Service Agency at the end of 2021. Russell is a fifth-generation farmer operating a family farm and ranch near Lacona. In a recent Q&A video call with the Iowa Farmers Union, Russell said he has past experience with FSA.
?I got to serve on the state committee in the Obama administration,? Russell said. ?I served eight years on the Iowa Farm Service Agency state committee. Those are appointed positions. We are in the process of rolling out our five-member committee here in the coming weeks. I got to serve on that from 2010-2017.?
In 2018, Russell began as the executive director of Iowa Interfaith Power and Light, a statewide faith-based climate action organization. Russell has previously worked at Drake University?s Agricultural Law Center, the Iowa Citizen Action Network, the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has a master?s degree in Rural Sociology from Iowa State University and a bachelor?s degree from Loras College.
?This is an opportunity of a lifetime,? Russell said, ?to work with truly amazing rural leaders in Iowa. Some of them have 25, 35, and 40 years of dedicated service. It is a great honor. I?m in my third month now. The first month was onboarding, the second month was ?oh, this is what this is about? and now this third month is just really leaning into it.?
Russell reminds farmers of an important deadline that?s coming up soon.
?March 15th is the deadline for ARC/PLC, so the commodity program that is happening right now. Sign up for those. If you have base acres and if you are in the commodity program, you need to sign up again.?
As FSA State Executive Director, Russell will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of FSA programs to agricultural producers in Iowa. These commodity, conservation, credit, and disaster assistance programs ensure a safe, affordable, abundant, and nutritious food, fiber, and fuel supply for consumers.
