S.Hrg.119-127

1[Senate Hearing 119-127]2[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]34                                                        S. Hrg. 119-12756                 NOMINATION OF RICHARD FORDYCE TO BE7                  UNDER SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR8                  FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION910=======================================================================1112                                HEARING1314                               BEFORE THE1516                       COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,17                        NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY1819                          UNITED STATES SENATE2021                    ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS2223                             FIRST SESSION2425                               __________2627                             July 23, 20252829                               __________3031                       Printed for the use of the32           Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry3334[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]3536                  Available on http://www.govinfo.gov/3738                                __________3940                   U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE4161-257 PDF                  WASHINGTON : 20254243-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------4445           COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY4647                    JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas, Chairman4849MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky            AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota50JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota            MICHAEL F. BENNET, Colorado51JONI ERNST, Iowa                     TINA SMITH, Minnesota52CINDY HYDE-SMITH, Mississippi        RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois53ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas               CORY BOOKER, New Jersey54TOMMY TUBERVILLE, Alabama            BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico55JAMES C. JUSTICE, West Virginia      RAPHAEL WARNOCK, Georgia56CHARLES GRASSLEY, Iowa               PETER WELCH, Vermont57JOHN THUNE, South Dakota             JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania58DEB FISCHER, Nebraska                ADAM SCHIFF, California59JERRY MORAN, Kansas                  ELISSA SLOTKIN, Michigan6061               Fitzhugh Elder IV, Majority Staff Director62                    Jessica L. Williams, Chief Clerk63                Lauren Santabar, Minority Staff Director64                 Chu-Yuan Hwang, Minority Chief Counsel6566                           C O N T E N T S6768                              ----------6970                        Wednesday, July 23, 20257172                                                                   Page7374Hearing:7576Nomination of Richard Fordyce to be Under Secretary of77  Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation...............     17879                              ----------8081                    STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY SENATORS8283Boozman, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from the State of Arkansas......     184Klobuchar, Hon. Amy, U.S. Senator from the State of Minnesota....     28586                                WITNESS8788Fordyce, Richard, of Missouri, to be Under Secretary of89  Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation...............     490                              ----------9192                                APPENDIX9394Prepared Statement:95    Fordyce, Richard.............................................    269697Document(s) Submitted for the Record:98Boozman, Hon. John:99    Agriculture Coalition in support of Richard Fordyce, letter100      of support.................................................    30101    Missouri letter of support of Richard Fordyce, letter of102      support....................................................    34103    National Cattlemen's Beef Association in support of Richard104      Fordyce, letter of support.................................    36105    Statement by Senator Schmitt of Missouri in support of106      Richard Fordyce, letter of support.........................    39107108Fordyce, Richard:109    Committee questionnaire, Office of Government Ethics110      Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure111      Report and 5-day letter filed by Richard Fordyce...........    41112113Question and Answer:114Fordyce, Richard:115    Written response to questions from Hon. Amy Klobuchar........    72116    Written response to questions from Hon. Joni Ernst...........    73117    Written response to questions from Hon. Cindy Hyde-Smith.....    74118    Written response to questions from Hon. Deb Fischer..........    75119    Written response to questions from Hon. Michael Bennet.......    76120    Written response to questions from Hon. Tina Smith...........    77121    Written response to questions from Hon. Richard Durbin.......    78122    Written response to questions from Hon. Raphael Warnock......    81123    Written response to questions from Hon. Peter Welch..........    86124    Written response to questions from Hon. John Fetterman.......    87125    Written response to questions from Hon. Adam Schiff..........    88126127NOMINATION OF RICHARD FORDYCE TO BE UNDER SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR128                    FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION129130                              ----------131132                        WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2025133134                                        U.S. Senate135          Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry136                                                    Washington, DC.137    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 3:03 p.m., in138Room 328A, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. John Boozman,139Chairman of the Committee, presiding.140    Present: Senators Boozman [presiding], Hoeven, Ernst, Hyde-141Smith, Marshall, Tuberville, Justice, Grassley, Fischer,142Klobuchar, Bennet, Smith, Fetterman, and Schiff.143    Also present: Representative Sam Graves.144145   STATEMENT OF HON. BOOZMAN, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF146 ARKANSAS, CHAIRMAN, U.S. COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION,147                          AND FORESTRY148149    Chairman Boozman. Good afternoon. It is my privilege to150call this hearing to order.151    I thank my colleagues for joining us today. We will be152considering the nomination of Mr. Richard Fordyce of Missouri153to be Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation at154USDA.155    Mr. Fordyce, congratulations on your nomination, and thank156you very much for your willingness to serve again. When157reviewing your background, it is clear you have the experience158to lead the mission area. You have experienced the challenges159of operating a family farm. You have been a customer of and160have led FSA offices yourself. You served as a public servant161in state government and at USDA during President Trump's first162term. These experiences will be critical for you to draw on as163you make decisions that will have the bearing on family farms164and rural communities that are so, so very important amid an165extremely challenging farm economy.166    Your nomination comes at a crucial time for American167agriculture. The men and women at FPAC agencies work hand-in-168hand with our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities to169utilize the tools and resources necessary to mitigate depressed170commodity prices, shifting markets, persistently high input171costs, and intense natural disasters. In the face of mounting172risk, American farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners173persevere to continue their family legacy and feed and fuel and174clothe their nation and the world.175    I appreciate the ongoing work at USDA to implement the $10176billion Emergency Commodity Assistance Program and the $20177billion Supplemental Disaster Assistance Program and the178updates to farm safety net and risk management tools we179recently included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This bill180also provided needed investments in conservation programs, and181we will rely on your leadership to ensure NRCS efficiently182implements these programs for our producers.183    We still have a lot of work to do. We need to modernize184current farm loan limits, which have not kept pace with an185increasingly capital-intensive industry. Approval times for186farm loans vary greatly by state and county and can lead to187unacceptable delays at critical times when producers are188attempting to purchase land or get seed in the ground. FSA must189have the personnel and the technology necessary to responsibly190reduce the amount of time it takes for loans to be processed.191    We also must lower existing hurdles for young and beginning192farmers. Every day the next generation of farmers are working193hard to buy land, expand their operations, and streamline the194process of transitioning farm ownership and operation from one195generation to the next. There needs to be an emphasis on196maximizing the efficiency of FSA programs to better enable197young farmers to capture this dream.198    If confirmed as Under Secretary of the USDA mission area199that oversees these critical producer-facing programs, the200Committee will look to you to quickly implement improvements201authorized by Congress and follow in congressional intent. I202look forward to hearing from Mr. Fordyce on these issues.203Again, congratulations on your nomination.204    Now we will turn to our Ranking Member, Senator Klobuchar.205206  STATEMENT OF HON. KLOBUCHAR, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF207                           MINNESOTA208209    Senator Klobuchar. Well, thank you very much, Chairman, and210thank you to Mr. Fordyce for being with us, as well as his211wife, Renee. I also see that Congressman Graves, of course, is212here, as well as former USDA Trade Under Secretary Ted213McKinney. We welcome all of your guests, Mr. Fordyce.214    Mr. Fordyce, you have been nominated to lead a mission area215that serves a critical customer-facing role for America's216farmers and ranchers. Between your strong experience at the217Department and your experience being a farmer customer of these218agencies, you clearly understand the mission and responsibility219to serve all of the Farm Production and Conservation mission220area.221    The FPAC agencies, what a name, the FPAC agencies are the222Federal Government's front door for producers across the223country. They administer programs that provide farmers with224disaster recovery, the farm safety net, access to credit, and,225of course, voluntary conservation programs. I was just with226corn and soybean farmers last week from Senator Smith's and my227state, who talked about the financial stress from the commodity228prices, trade policy, high input costs. Unfortunately, this is229showing up in the form of an uptick in farm loan mediations. In230Minnesota alone, our extension service's Farmer-Lender231Mediation Program had nearly 1,300 mediation notices this232fiscal year by the end of June, more than 50 percent higher233than at this point in recent years.234    As I have made clear many times, I am concerned about some235of the actions by this administration during these difficult236economic conditions and that these conditions are exacerbated237by unstaffed or understaffed FSA offices, what we are seeing238with grants and contracts, and then, of course, the tariffs.239Nearly 2/3 of Regional Conservation Partnership Program240contracts have been withdrawn without full explanation. This241includes two projects in Minnesota, totaling $34 million in242assistance to the Board of Water and Soil Resources and a243county conservation district for improving water quality and244stabilizing soils.245    Mr. Fordyce, you are an experienced leader with a track246record of bipartisanship and a passion for the mission of247serving farmers. As we discussed when we met a few months ago,248I hope you will work with me and all Members of this Committee249to bring needed benefits for producers in this challenging250time.251    Congress provided $31 billion in economic and disaster252assistance to provide much-needed assistance for losses in 2023253and 2024, while roughly half of this funding has made its way254into the hands of farmers, those without crop insurance, or255farmers with shallow losses are still waiting, and the256structure of assistance is uncertain.257    During your first stint at USDA, as the FSA administrator,258as noted by the Chairman, you effectively reached out to a259population of farmers that had never participated in FSA260programs before in administering the Coronavirus Food261Assistance Program. We need you to use the same creativity here262so farmers who have not traditionally utilized USDA programs263can access disaster assistance.264    I look forward to hearing more about your vision for FPAC265and how, if confirmed, you will work with this Committee in a266bipartisan way to help farmers and ranchers across the country.267    Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.268    Chairman Boozman. Thank you. We are really pleased to be269joined by Representative Sam Graves from Missouri. I had the270opportunity to serve with Sam for many years in the House, and271he is a dear friend and somebody that is so well respected in272the House and really just has his finger into lots of different273things that he is a champion of.274    You are recognized, and again, thank you for taking time. I275know you guys are really busy.276    Mr. Graves. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate it.277    I really appreciate the opportunity to be here today to not278only introduce someone who is incredibly qualified for the279position of Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production280and Conservation, but he is also somebody that I can call a281very close friend and fellow farmer from northwest Missouri.282    Richard Fordyce, along with his wife Renee, they farmed in283Harrison County, Missouri their entire lives. Raising corn and284soybeans on the family farm, Richard understands intimately285exactly what farmers see and feel every single day. Richard has286not just been content to stay on the farm. As has been pointed287out, he knows that good farm policy impacts our ability to put288food on the table, and that is why he has been heavily involved289in the Missouri Soybean Association, University of Missouri290Extension, the United Soybean Board, the Missouri Agriculture291Leadership of Tomorrow program, and Missouri Farm Bureau.292    Richard is probably most well-known, as you pointed out,293from his time as a director of agriculture in Missouri and as294the administrator of the Farm Service Agency during the first295Trump Administration. As Under Secretary of Agriculture for296Farm Production and Conservation, Richard will oversee some297critical agencies that impact farmers and ranchers every single298day, and I cannot think of anyone more qualified for this299position than Richard is.300    It is not because of his leadership credentials or his301positions in ag policy that Richard has held. It is because302Richard, he will make an incredible Under Secretary of Ag303because Richard is a farmer through and through and he knows304the people that he is going to serve and the challenges that305they face, and he knows every single policy or rule change can306make or break a farmer or their operation.307    That is why I am proud to introduce Richard Fordyce to be308the next Under Secretary for Agriculture for Farm Production309and Conservation. Again, I thank all of you for your time and310your indulgence in letting me do the introduction.311    Chairman Boozman. Well, again, thank you so much for being312here and taking the time. I know that Mr. Fordyce appreciates313it very much, as do we.314    Mr. Graves. Thanks, Mr. Chairman.315    Chairman Boozman. Again, thank you for being here, Mr.316Fordyce. I will now administer the oath, and then you may begin317with your testimony, where you will have five minutes.318    Please stand and raise your right hand.319    Do you swear or affirm that the statements you are about to320provide is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the321truth, so help you God?322    Mr. Fordyce. I do.323    Chairman Boozman. Do you agree that, if confirmed, you will324respond to requests to appear and testify before any duly325constituted Committee of the Senate?326    Mr. Fordyce. I will.327    Chairman Boozman. Thank you. You are now recognized for328your statement.329330    STATEMENT OF RICHARD FORDYCE, OF MISSOURI, TO BE UNDER331 SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION332333    Mr. Fordyce. Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar,334and distinguished Members of the Committee, thank you for the335opportunity to appear before you today as President Trump's336nominee to serve as the Under Secretary for the U.S. Department337of Agriculture's Farm Production and Conservation mission area.338I want to thank President Trump for nominating me to serve in339this role, and I want to thank Secretary Rollins for her trust340and confidence in supporting my nomination.341    Since I was five years old, I knew I wanted to be a farmer.342That early passion for agriculture has been the driving force343throughout my life, shaping my decisions and inspiring my344commitment to learning, growing, and giving back to the345agricultural community. Every step of my career in agriculture346has been marked by a willingness to raise my hand, take on347challenges, and contribute to the strength and resilience of348our farming systems.349    My farmer volunteer journey began on my local county Farm350Bureau board and led to leading the young farmer programs in351both Missouri and the American Farm Bureau. I have served the352soybean checkoff for a total of over 25 years, both on the353Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council and the United Soybean354Board. My passion for soil conservation led to an appointment355to the Missouri Soil and Water Districts Commission where I356ultimately served as chair.357    Some of this volunteer work caught the eye of Governor Jay358Nixon, and he asked me to join his administration as director359of the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Following the Nixon360Administration, I was appointed as the Missouri State Executive361Director for the Farm Service Agency, serving in that role for362six months. I was then appointed as the administrator of the363United States Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency.364    This personal journey guides my vision for the Farm365Production and Conservation mission area to deliver an366effective, efficient, predictable, and transparent service to367farmers across the Nation. At FPAC, we have a duty to serve as368a steadfast ally to those who work tirelessly to feed, fuel,369and clothe the world. This means not only providing consistent370support for our producers but also modernizing the tools used371for delivering these programs across the entire mission area by372our amazing and dedicated staff.373    Disaster payments are one such critical tool, and my374commitment is to align them with the goals set forth by375President Trump and Congress, making them more timely, fair,376and impactful. Our farmers deserve nothing less than a system377that supports recovery and resilience in the face of adversity.378    Additionally, I believe in the incredible potential of379private and public partnerships to drive innovation and success380in agriculture. By fostering collaboration between government,381private industry, and communities, we can unlock new382opportunities and create solutions that benefit both producers383and consumers alike.384    Together with a shared commitment to the values of385integrity, transparency, and service, we can ensure that FPAC386continues to be a beacon of support and progress for America's387farmers and ranchers. This covers all aspects of FPAC,388including programs that support conservation of our vital389natural resources, programs designed to respond to disasters,390and tools to help manage risk and access to credit, all of391which are so vitally important to the industry of agriculture.392This vision is not just about today. It is about building a393sustainable, thriving future for the next generation of394agricultural leaders.395    To the Members of the Committee, I appreciated the time to396have met with many of you and your respective staff before397today's hearing. The opportunity to learn about what is398important to you and the people of your state was invaluable.399My commitment would be to continue those conversations, so we400are as well informed on all the various issues across these401great United States.402    I am truly humbled to be considered for this position. If403confirmed, I commit to following Secretary Rollins' leadership404and using the experience gained through my years of varied405agriculture leadership to support the Farm Service Agency, the406Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the Risk Management407Agency, all of which make up the FPAC mission area.408    I have always raised my hand, dedicating my life to the409service of improving our industry. I look forward to working410with this Committee in the future and thank each and every one411of you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I look412forward to answering any questions you may have.413    [The prepared statement of Mr. Fordyce can be found on414pages 26-27 in the appendix.]415    Chairman Boozman. Thank you. Before I ask my questions, I416would like to add letters of support from various farm groups417for Mr. Fordyce's nomination in the record. Without objection,418so ordered.419    [The letters can be found on pages 30-38 in the appendix.]420    Chairman Boozman. Mr. Fordyce, you have had extensive421engagement with the Farm Service Agency. How do you plan to422best utilize the FSA county office employees while also423improving technology and communication between FSA and the RMA424to provide exceptional service to producers across the country?425I know we were out and about, have been out and about a lot for426the last couple years in regard to trying to get together a427farm bill, trying to help our farmers, but in talking to the428FSA people, it is not unusual for them to talk about having to429get into multiple different entities in order to get the430information they need in order to do things in a timely431fashion.432    Mr. Fordyce. Senator, thank you for that question. You433know, I, too, have had those very same conversations. When I434was the administrator in the first administration, you know, we435implemented a lot of programs, most notably the 2018 Farm Bill.436    With those implementations, it lots of times creates the437necessity to create software that supports that implementation.438I think I can safely say, and I think others would probably439agree, probably some in the room, that a lot of our440technologies are woefully old and antiquated, I would almost441say, in some cases, and so certainly, there is a need for some442modernization in the tools that are used by FSA to deliver443those programs. Also, we probably could see some modernization444in the ways that we participate with the producers that we445serve at FSA.446    Chairman Boozman. The other thing that we hear a lot about447is just the time that it takes in dealing with the loan448process. We hear that from applicants and lenders across the449board. I think it has gotten a little bit better, but it is450still a problem.451    Again, I know that is something that you are well aware of,452and hopefully, we will be able to have you back in several453months and you tell us a good story as to how we are moving in454the right direction in that regard. Many of these things are455just inefficiencies that cost some money, but the efficiency456will gain us so much, and it is just a matter of us helping you457to get those things done.458    You have got a wealth of experience both on the farm and in459leadership at USDA. How can existing federal programs be460expanded or modified to better support young and beginning461farmers and ranchers?462    Mr. Fordyce. Well, again, Senator, a good question, and I463appreciate that question. You know, I think that all of us464probably in this room certainly have an eye to the next465generation and that population that is new or beginning466farmers, and, you know, we are all probably pretty aware of the467capital requirements and things that it does take to start a468farm. They can be enormous.469    You know, I think that in some cases, I think, depending on470where you are located geographically, what your history has471been as a new farmer or beginning farmer, you know, I think we472could probably do a better job of outreach and communication,473making those new and beginning farmers more aware of what is474available that can be of assistance and can be of help to475starting a new farm, you know, not only from a program476standpoint, a financial standpoint, but also even as a477mentorship standpoint, and I think we could look to do that.478    Chairman Boozman. Very good. As you know, the farm bill is479the single largest source of federal funding for private lands480conservation implemented by NRCS and FSA. The voluntary481incentive-based conservation programs are a key part of the482safety net used by farmers and ranchers to maximize on-farm483efficiencies and opportunities along with productivity.484    If confirmed, how do you plan to promote and enhance485voluntary and incentive-based conservation programs like EQIP486and the Wetland Reserve Program?487    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, and thanks again for that question,488Senator. I think a lot of it is, again, it is talking about489that outreach, but I think it is that peer-to-peer outreach.490You know, we have got a lot of producers across this country491that have good experiences with EQIP or the Wetland Reserve492Program, and they sometimes can be our best advocates and, you493know, look to find ways to include more folks to be able to494share that story.495    Chairman Boozman. Very good. Senator Klobuchar.496    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you very much, Senator Boozman. I497am going to have to leave after my questions to see one of our498colleagues' first Floor speeches, but thank you again, Mr.499Fordyce.500    FPAC is the most customer-facing mission area, as I noted501in my opening, and I ask that you be responsive to both502Republican and Democratic sides of this Committee. I have every503reason to believe you will be based on your past work. Will you504commit to providing answers to oversight questions throughout505the implementation of the bill that was just passed, the budget506bill, and other areas?507    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, Ranking Member. Thank you for that508question, and yes, the answer is absolutely yes. I think when I509was here in the first Trump Administration as administrator, I510came to the Hill and visited with folks on both sides of the511aisle, answered questions, solicited input, and would certainly512commit to doing that this time if confirmed.513    Senator Klobuchar. You also have a good recommendation from514Senator Blunt, which means a lot to many of us.515    CRP is a critical tool for improving wildlife habitat,516water quality, soil health. Leader Thune and I have long517partnered to improve CRP. Will you commit to working with me518and others on improvements to CRP, including improvements the519USDA currently has the authority to make?520    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, absolutely, and I would say that, you521know, CRP now is, what is it, 30 years old, 40 years old, and,522you know, I think that is truly a success story and the523evolution of CRP, the different practices that have come about.524Yes, Ranking Member, I definitely would commit to working with525you as we improve CRP.526    Senator Klobuchar. Okay. When confirmed, you are going to527go walk into a lot. FPAC has lost nearly 4,100 employees in the528Deferred Resignation Program. FSA alone has lost over 1,000529employees, and there are offices who are understaffed or530unstaffed. This is particularly troubling as Congress has531tasked USDA with implementing economic and disaster relief this532year. The recently enacted reconciliation bill will require FSA533to sign up 30 million new base acres over the next year. As a534former administrator of FSA, do you think having offices open,535available, and fully staffed is important? How do you believe536FPAC can meet its mission of serving farmers with these kinds537of reductions of 4,100 employees?538    Mr. Fordyce. Well, thank you for the question, Ranking539Member. You know, I have not had an opportunity, and--but will540once confirmed, to dig into the data, understand where those541folks--where those retirements came from, where they are542located, and certainly, you know, I cannot say enough about the543folks that work--and it is across all three agencies within the544mission area, but I am most familiar with the Farm Service545Agency, and they are, again, some of the greatest folks that546you will ever meet and ever work with.547    Again, understanding what that is, looking at the data, but548I am confident, Senator, that we can deliver our mission-549critical responsibilities in a very positive way.550    Senator Klobuchar. Very good. Last question. I look forward551to building on the work that was begun in the 2018 Farm Bill to552improve USDA efficiency and provide farmers with a better553understanding of the potential economic farming benefits, not554only of the commodities programs and the like, but also555conservation practices. Advances in data paired with widespread556adoption of precision ag technology present exciting557opportunities to empower farmers with the best tools available.558Senator Thune and I, again, have an Agriculture Innovation Act,559and then Senator Fischer and I have partnered on another bill.560How do you think the USDA can partner with academic561institutions and other researchers to better inform the562conservation practices? What barriers does USDA face in using563data and working more closely on conservation?564    Mr. Fordyce. Well, I do appreciate that question a great565deal because that is an area that I am very interested in, very566passionate about. I think that there is an opportunity for USDA567and the FPAC mission area, and more specifically, to--and maybe568it is understand the technologies better and how can those work569to create better opportunities for the farmers and ranchers570that we serve. I would just say that that is--there is a lot571there, and, you know, we would be--I would commit that we will572do what we can to learn more about it, understand it, and see573what kind of a partnership could exist.574    Senator Klobuchar. Very good, thank you.575    Chairman Boozman. Senator Hyde-Smith.576    Senator Hyde-Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, very much, and577for the Ranking Member for holding this hearing today. Mr.578Fordyce, thank you for being here, and I see another friend in579the back there as well, lots of friends, good to see you.580    I have been so concerned over the farm economy, and as you581know, they have struggled for the past few years in a serious582situation. Farmers continue to deal with the high input costs,583low commodity prices, the natural disasters, and the interest584rates that have been so inflated, along with the labor585shortages and the issues we have had there, and the586regulations.587    Last December, Congress passed the American Relief Act,588which provided $10 billion to support producers. This589assistance, known as the Emergency Commodity Assistance590Program, the ECAP, was passed. The Trump Administration, with591clear direction from Congress, delivered it in a record time,592very proud of that and the way that they handled that. On top593of that, Congress recently passed the One Big Beautiful Bill,594which included critical improvements to farm programs that595Republicans have been strongly advocating for, including the596reference price increases that were so needed and the crop597insurance improvements and the disaster program assistance598programs.599    These legislative achievements handed a lifeline to the600American farmers and ranchers. Again, I would like to reiterate601my appreciation to Chairman Boozman and his staff and the many602Members in this room, and the Appropriations Chair, Susan603Collins, as well, played a role in that. She took a last-minute604flight from Europe to get back to D.C. to help with that605supplemental effort for securing these victories.606    Bottom line is this, American agriculture is not out of the607weeds yet. As we well know, so many of these things still608exist, and we know what the struggles are, despite our best609efforts. The times are still tough, and farmers are going to610have to survive some unfavorable conditions, as much as the611farm safety net improved, kicked in. With the current situation612we are experiencing in the farm economy, we have to have an613all-hands-on-deck approach to support that as we head into614harvest season.615    Mr. Fordyce, if confirmed, and America's farmers find616themselves in a situation where emergency support is necessary617to keep them afloat again, how willing are you to explore any618and all authorities under USDA's jurisdiction to help them?619    Mr. Fordyce. Well, Senator--and it is good to see you again620today. Thank you for the question, and you are exactly right.621It is tough in farm country right now, and you laid out all the622reasons why that is. I would say that, you know, certainly, you623know, I would be supportive of looking at what authorities we624might have at USDA, but certainly would, you know, love to625partner with Congress, and understanding how both USDA, more626specifically the FPAC mission area, you know, could work627together to find some solutions going forward. You are exactly628right. It is going to be a tough go for a little while longer,629I am afraid.630    Senator Hyde-Smith. Are you confident that there are631existing authorities now that can be used if this situation632gets increasingly dire? For instance, I understand per an old633USDA factsheet that the Department provided timely targeted634assistance to farmers through its long-standing Section 32635authority 18 times between 1999 and 2009. I am not suggesting636that we go there just yet, but just pointing out examples637outside of the Commodity Credit Corporation Section 5638authority. Are you comfortable with these?639    Mr. Fordyce. Senator, I will have to admit, I am not640familiar with Section 32 that you reference but certainly would641be more than happy to look into that and see if that would be a642possible option.643    Senator Hyde-Smith. Well, thank you very much, and my time644is up, Mr. Chairman.645    Chairman Boozman. Thank you. Senator Tuberville.646    Senator Tuberville. Thank you very much.647    Thank you, Mr. Fordyce, for being here. I grew up close to648a town called Fordyce in Arkansas, home of a famous football649coach years ago, Mr. Bear Bryant. Thanks for wanting to do this650again in another fashion. Thanks for your service because it is651awfully hard, and you go through a lot.652    First of all, I want to know if you will help me support653these bills. I just put two new ag bills on the Floor today. It654was today, wasn't it?655    [Laughter.]656    Senator Tuberville. The first addresses the Federal Crop657Insurance Board of Directors. There are four seats for658producers, and we want one of those seats to be for a producer659of both livestock and crops to provide a different perspective660for various new livestock/crop insurance products RMA is661implementing. That is my first one. Does that sound pretty662good?663    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, Senator, it actually does. It sounds like664it makes some sense and would----665    Senator Tuberville. Now, we are from Alabama. Now, we can666make some sense now, okay?667    [Laughter.]668    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, sir.669    Senator Tuberville. Go ahead.670    Mr. Fordyce. No, I think that is--I think I am--I think I671have answered that.672    Senator Tuberville. Would you vote for that?673    Mr. Fordyce. Would I vote for that?674    Senator Tuberville. Yes.675    Mr. Fordyce. I think--I mean, I am not backpedaling,676Senator, but I think what I would need to do is understand677exactly what the makeup is of the Federal Crop Insurance Board,678and--but it sounds like a good idea to me.679    Senator Tuberville. Thank you. Thank you. The second bill680would authorize a study for double and rotational cropping of681winter canola in the Mid-South region. This would gather data682as farmers in north Alabama and Tennessee are starting to grow683winter canola for synthetic aviation fuel and diesel fuel. All684these bills get complex, I know.685    Mr. Fordyce. I am sure that is complex, but I am aware of686the winter canola effort. I would say that I would applaud the687RMA for being responsive and having the ability, you know, to688evolve as things change. I would think that that--that they689would take a look at what kind of options might be available.690    Senator Tuberville. Thank you. As we all know, our farmers691are in bad trouble. I have a lot of friends that are huge692farmers, and they do not know whether they are going to make it693through the year, much less through this crop. You know, right694now, farmers are the largest group with the most suicides in695the country right now. It is that bad. It is really, really696serious.697    Access to credit is becoming harder and harder. This year698was really tough. We had to come up with some subsidies for699some of the farmers to get them through this past winter to get700another crop. Poultry producers are facing huge challenges,701steep costs of poultry houses, $3.5 million for four houses.702Can you discuss the importance of increasing our guaranteed703loan limits to $3.5 million because of that?704    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, well, I was actually--I was serving as705the administrator of the Farm Service Agency the last time the706loan limits were raised, and I think it was welcomed,707certainly, by the agency, and it was welcomed by the producers708that the farm loan programs serve. You know, if that were the709intent of Congress to raise those loan limits, I think that,710you know, would be appropriate given the cost of things and the711entry-level costs of things.712    Senator Tuberville. It is going sky-high. It is not getting713any cheaper. One quick question. Feral swine, we have got huge714problems in our state and I know other states. In the Big715Beautiful Bill, we had $105 million for the Feral Swine716Eradication Program. What is your stance on the eradication717program? Do you think we are making progress?718    Mr. Fordyce. That would be tough for me to say. We do have719those in Missouri as well.720    Senator Tuberville. You all have hogs?721    Mr. Fordyce. We have--yes, we have----722    Senator Tuberville. Oh, you do?723    Mr. Fordyce [continuing]. feral swine. Yes, we have wild724hogs in Missouri. Go ahead, sir.725    Senator Tuberville. No, go ahead. I am listening.726    Mr. Fordyce. Well, in Missouri, they have stopped the727ability for folks to hunt them because the idea was that if728they are hunting them, then there has to continue to be a729supply of them, and somehow they just keep showing up. I do not730know. I guess it maybe is one way of looking at it.731    Senator Tuberville. Well, just let them know that us in732Alabama will send you some if you need them because we have got733way overabundance of them.734    [Laughter.]735    Senator Tuberville. We are going to send them to Senator736Grassley in Iowa. He loves hogs.737    [Laughter.]738    Senator Tuberville. He loves hogs.739    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Fordyce. Thank you.740    Chairman Boozman. Thank you. Senator Fetterman, you are741recognized.742    Senator Fetterman. Oh, I cannot go in front of--that is the743legend. No, really, please.744    Chairman Boozman. I think----745    Senator Grassley. I will be glad to go ahead, but----746    Chairman Boozman. Go ahead, Senator Grassley.747    Senator Tuberville. Yes, he is a legend in his own mind.748    [Laughter.]749    Senator Tuberville. Yes.750    Senator Grassley. Thank you very much, Senator Fetterman.751    I know you are very qualified for this job because I know752what you did in the previous Trump Administration, so there is753no doubt about your qualifications. I have got some questions754along some things that I have been believing in in farm755programs, and I would like to have you answer.756    I have been an advocate for one overall amount of money757that one farmer can get, and that one farmer ought to have dirt758under his fingernails in order to qualify for payments. I got759nothing against big farmers getting bigger. I just do not think760we ought to subsidize big farmers to get bigger because if we761are subsidizing them, it drives up the price of land. It drives762up the cost of cash rent, and most young farmers getting763started farming are the type that have to rent their land and764competition with people that maybe are farming 2,000 acres765versus somebody farming 10,000 acres.766    There ought to be not a limit on the size of the farm, but767there ought to be some limit on how much the Federal768Government's going to help because the principle of a safety769net is that we have a safety net for the last 70 or 80 years770because there is certain-sized farmers, small- or medium-sized771farmers that do not have any control over Nixon freezing beef772prices in 1970 or Carter putting a grain embargo on in 1979 or773even the uncertainty that comes with the way that Trump is774doing business.775    I say we ought to be helping those that are hurt by things776beyond their control, so that is why I advocate a limit on farm777payments. Do you think that there should be any limit on how778big a payment would go to any one farm operation?779    Mr. Fordyce. Well, Senator, thank you for that question,780and I appreciate that. I do not know that I have thought about781that necessarily, but I would say that whatever Congress says782is under that definition of actively engaged, what the payment783limitations are, certainly we will follow the letter of the law784and enforce that as the agencies are doing today.785    Senator Grassley. I was not going to bring up actively786engaged, but let me--I do not think I have so much a question787on it, but it would be a matter of informing you how I see it788within the Department of Agriculture. Sometimes Congress has789expended the term ``actively engaged'' so people do not have to790actually be involved in the management of the farm operation to791get some help from the farm program. Some of it has been done792through either guidance or regulation within the Department of793Agriculture, and I have seen it expanded even under Democratic794Secretaries of Agriculture, but for sure Republicans have done795it. I think if you are involved in any of those regulations,796you ought to review what they are and see if they have not gone797too far because when third cousins can start getting some798benefit from a family farm operation, it is not right, so I799would just like to have you take a look at it.800    Secretary Rollins is focused on supporting small farms. Do801you agree that payment limits help protect small- and medium-802sized farmers, or is this something you want to say you have803not given a lot of thought to yet?804    Mr. Fordyce. Senator, could you repeat the question?805    Senator Grassley. Yes, Senator Rollins is focused on806supporting small farms. Now I get this from my conversations807with her. I got it from her confirmation conversations we have808had. Do you agree that payment limits help protect small- and809medium-sized farms?810    Mr. Fordyce. I think--if I understand the question811correctly, I think that payment limitations on smaller farms,812the--typically, the producer that is operating a smaller farm813does not necessarily bump up against the payment limitations.814Farmers that are farming larger farms, more acres, a lot of815times do bump up against those payment limitations.816    Senator Grassley. Okay.817    Mr. Fordyce. Did that answer your question, Senator? I am--818because----819    Senator Grassley. Yes, you have answered it. Let me just820finish with this. I hope I get a chance to have a conversation821with you and explain what my motives are. I have already822expressed them. I cannot express them much more than that, but823I would like to have some consideration given to it. Thank you,824Senator Fetterman.825    Chairman Boozman. Thank you. One of the concerns Senator826Grassley has had that we have discussed is there are rules and827regulations, and sometimes, there is concern that people maybe828do not always follow those. We do expect, you know, that we829look at making sure that people abide by the rules. A lot of830this stuff got really--during the pandemic, in an effort to get831payments out and this and that, things got really loose. In832some cases they have never tightened back up. The natural833tendency is to take advantage, so that is something that we are834going to want you to look at and really delve into and make835sure that whether it is this, whether it is nutrition, whatever836the program is, we want to make sure that the appropriate837people are getting what they are supposed to get versus, you838know, something else.839    Senator Fetterman.840    Senator Fetterman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.841    Mr. Fordyce, I have read that you are a farmer.842    Mr. Fordyce. Yes. Yes, Senator.843    Senator Fetterman. Yes, and so then I would want to thank844you for that. I mean, the more farms that I visit across--you845know, I am more and more convinced that that is a job that is846too tough that I could ever do. People can walk to a grocery847store, and they forget where it came from and the efforts and848the things and the work that got in to just be able to walk in849and just, you know, like that big thing. They really do not850deserve the kind of credit that they do.851    Regardless, beyond that, if you have ever been to852Pennsylvania, and if you did, that would make you a very lucky853guy, but in Pennsylvania, some people do not realize that that854Mushroom Capital is right in Chester County in Pennsylvania.855Were you aware?856    Mr. Fordyce. Senator, I was not, but I do have a good857friend that is from Chester County, and he is currently the858deputy administrator for Farm Programs at the Farm Service859Agency.860    Senator Fetterman. Oh, okay. Well, then that is a great861connection then. Now, like a lot of people do not realize that,862you know, we really are the Mushroom Capital of the world. Now,863for me, I have always been pushing and because I really want to864represent, you know, this very important industry in our state,865pushing mushrooms to be eligible to the crop insurance for866that. You know, I have introduced the bipartisan Protecting867Mushroom Farmers Act with my PA colleagues. You know, and868unfortunately that never really happened. I was disappointed869that we were unable to use that authority to include mushrooms870in crop insurance.871    I would be grateful to maybe work together on this. For me,872I am an advocate for an important industry, and I would love to873see that included there. Really, I would like to offer you for874what your thoughts with that.875    Mr. Fordyce. Well, Senator, that is--it is interesting. I876am a big fan of mushrooms, all kinds actually. I do know877certainly that the federal crop insurance system ensures a878number of different crops. I do not know what the number is. It879is over 100. It is less than 200, I think, but certainly do880cover a lot. It is a lot--obviously, our Title I commodities,881historic Title I commodities, but a lot of specialty crops.882    I do know we had a question just a little bit ago about RMA883and the federal crop insurance program, and I do believe that884they are--they are pretty responsive when there is actually a885need or there is a market. Now, there is a process by which886those products come to the marketplace. I was actually--when I887was the administrator, I actually sat in on a board meeting one888afternoon, and there was a company that was talking about889providing coverage for carrot seed, and so there is a policy890for carrot seed. I--so it was interesting to watch the process891happen.892    Certainly, we can take a look at, you know, is there an893opportunity with RMA and crop insurance? The Farm Service894Agency also has a crop insurance program called NAP where a lot895of times that can fill in the gaps of crops that are not896covered by RMA at that time. Yes, let us take a look at that897and see what we can do.898    Senator Fetterman. Okay. All right. Cede back to the Chair.899Thank you.900    Chairman Boozman. No, thank you, Senator Fetterman.901    Senator Hoeven.902    Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chair.903    Mr. Fordyce, I am really pleased to see that you are904willing to serve in this capacity, again, having served before905and done excellent work the first time. I want to welcome you906back and tell you how much I appreciate your work and how much907I look forward to working with you.908    I know you are going to be spending an awful lot of time in909Arkansas due to the powerful Ag Committee Chairman. When you910are not tied up in Arkansas, would you be willing to come to911North Dakota?912    Mr. Fordyce. Well, yes, Senator, I would. As you know, you913did invite me a couple of times the last time, and I think I914came both times.915    Senator Hoeven. Yep. You will still come back again, won't916you?917    Mr. Fordyce. Oh, absolutely. Yes, sir. In the summer would918be better.919    Senator Hoeven. Yes.920    [Laughter.]921    Senator Hoeven. Well, we will absolutely make sure it922works, but we want to get you up there. We appreciate that and923of course all the good work you do. Talk to me how the Chairman924and myself, others work very hard on getting that disaster925assistance, you know, passed. My understanding is it is going926well. It has been very important to our state. Now you are927starting, you know, on the weather piece. Talk to me how that928is going.929    Mr. Fordyce. You know, I--the only information that I have930is anything that I might see in the ag news, ag press. I have931not had any conversations related to policy, policy development932with the folks at FPAC. I do know, just because I have heard it933from a number of farmers, that the first $10 billion, the934implementation of that was incredibly swift, seemed to be935pretty seamless. You know, I would expect, while the second936part of it is probably--just from the way I read some of the937language is probably going to be a bit more complex and938complicated. You know, I have confidence that that is being939worked on, not--I would have no idea as to what the progress is940in that at this point, but I have confidence that they are941working on it.942    Senator Hoeven. Maybe somebody else brought up to you, but943both the corn growers and soybean growers have been in to see944us over the last week or so. In the case of the corn growers,945they still have a lot of 2024 crop they have not moved. Of946course, they have got 2025 crop coming, and they are not able947to get that contracted right now. Same with the soybean guys.948You know, we put the disaster assistance in place. We put, you949know, important components of the farm program in place, ARC/950PLC updates, enhancements to crop insurance to make it more951affordable in the 03-B, but, you know, we have got to have some952sales going. You know, any thoughts in terms of what we can do953there, you know, to try to address some of these sales that we954need to make?955    Mr. Fordyce. Certainly. You know, I know that the market--I956know you mentioned corn and soybeans, and, you know, that957market is not incredibly robust right now. You know, if I am958confirmed, we actually are going to have to change the959structure of our farm. Currently, my wife and I--and my wife is960sitting right behind me, Senator. She is the marketer for the--961--962    Senator Hoeven. She looks awfully young, Richard.963    [Laughter.]964    Mr. Fordyce. Well, would you believe we were married 36965years ago yesterday?966    Senator Hoeven. I would not. I would not.967    [Laughter.]968    Mr. Fordyce. She likes that answer.969    [Laughter.]970    Senator Hoeven. Are you sure he has the right number there?971    [Laughter.]972    Mr. Fordyce. It is, yes.973    Senator Hoeven. Well, congratulations on that, for sure.974    Mr. Fordyce. You know, from a marketing standpoint, a sales975standpoint, I am not completely sure why that is happening,976unless it is just the fact that the market is not in a place977where they want to move grain. I think, you know, we have--in978the first administration when I was the administrator, we had a979very open dialog with a lot of organizations, both commodity980groups, farm groups, conservation groups. I would commit--if981confirmed, I would commit to visiting with those organizations982and understanding a bit more about what that problem is.983    Senator Hoeven. Yes. Well, we have some work to do there.984As you know, in the first Trump Administration, we worked985together with Commodity Credit Corp., which is funded out of986the Ag Appropriations Committee. You know, we are going to need987to continue to do that work with our Chairman and Ranking988Member on Ag. I know you are committed to making sure that we989do that as needed. I am looking for a yep or a no.990    Mr. Fordyce. Yes. Yes, Senator. Yes, for sure.991    Senator Hoeven. Okay. Again, thanks. Look forward to992working with you and appreciate your service. Thank you.993    Thank you, Mr. Chair.994    Chairman Boozman. Thank you. Senator Schiff.995    Senator Schiff. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.996    Mr. Fordyce, thank you for being here, appreciate your997work.998    During the first Trump Administration, you oversaw the999implementation of the Market Facilitation Program, as well as1000the Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program. Both of those1001programs were implemented in such a way that, as I talked to1002farmers throughout California, they found that they had a lot1003of difficulty in accessing them because of the different nature1004of the specialty crops they grow than farmers in other parts of1005the country. Will you commit to working with me to ensure that1006any future rollout of USDA financial assistance is more fairly1007distributed, that is, that specialty crop farmers are equally1008able to access it as other farmers?1009    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, Senator, and thank you for that question.1010You know, I do appreciate very much the agriculture nature of1011the State of California. It is the most agriculture-diverse1012state in the country, and I appreciate that and understand that1013fairly well. I would not want to completely tell you that I1014know how all of those crops are grown, but do appreciate that.1015    You know, and I think you make a good point on the programs1016that you mentioned, and part of that was due to the fact that1017the agencies had not worked with those commodities, those1018crops, and those growers really before. You know, I felt like1019we were fairly innovative in trying to get the word out and the1020message out, and certainly through our outreach programs and1021communications programs attempted to do that more on a personal1022level. Then we discovered that it worked--it would work much1023better if we were having those conversations with the1024organizations that represent those growers. United Fresh and1025others were organizations that we partnered with, which we had1026never partnered with before, to get that information out. It1027was a little bit, it was probably a little bit of a slow start1028at the beginning of the program, but I think it became quite1029robust by the end of both of the programs that you mentioned.1030    Absolutely, I will--I would commit to working with you if1031there is another program similar to that to make sure we are1032talking to the right folks and getting the right message out1033there.1034    Senator Schiff. Great. I appreciate that, and we are happy1035to help facilitate those meetings with those associations.1036    I also want to raise a concern about USDA's ongoing rollout1037of disaster funding, as authorized by the American Relief Act1038of 2025. First, I am concerned that the rules USDA has created1039in establishing block grants for states which faced disaster in1040the past few years make it pretty much impossible for1041California to receive aid.1042    Second, I hope that in the second round of the Supplemental1043Disaster Relief Program that it is developed in such a way that1044specialty crop and diversified farmers may more easily access1045relief. I recently sent a letter to the administration on this1046issue, and I know you are not currently at USDA, but are you1047committed to working together on this matter and others so we1048can make sure that California and specialty crop producers more1049generally receive their fair degree of USDA support?1050    Just to give an illustration, some of the disaster relief1051is focused on hurricanes and only hurricanes. We have had1052hurricanes that turned into tropical storms when they went1053inland that did a lot of damage. Of course, we have been1054ravaged by atmospheric rivers and the flooding that they result1055in and fires. To exclude certain disasters and only include1056others that, frankly, are visited on other states seems very1057inequitable for the West. I want to make sure you are committed1058to working on that issue as well to make sure that these1059decisions are made in a nonpartisan and nongeographic way that1060is accessible for all farmers throughout the country.1061    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, Senator, absolutely would commit to that.1062I cannot speak much to the progress of those disaster programs1063or the cause of loss for the declarations, but yes, would1064commit to certainly working with you moving forward.1065    Senator Schiff. One other issue if I could, over 1/3 of the1066country's vegetables and 3/4 of the country's fruits and nuts1067are grown in California, but just nine percent of farms growing1068specialty crops are insured. Given your past experience at1069USDA, can you speak to the challenges that specialty crop1070producers face in accessing crop insurance and what you think1071you can do as Under Secretary to address it?1072    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, that is a great question. You know, I1073know that the Risk Management Agency or the NAP program through1074the Farm Service Agency insures--and we talked about this just1075a little bit ago, and I am not sure how many crops that is, but1076it is a lot. You know, I think if there is not a safety net/1077risk management product available to a specific crop grown in1078California, we can get--there is a process at RMA by which we1079can start the process to look at the opportunities to1080potentially have a product that is available to them. We--I1081would commit that we will be taking a look at that.1082    Senator Schiff. I appreciate it, and I think some of the1083challenge, Chairman, is that these specialty crops and trees1084that are a long-term investment are really different, and some1085of the historic practices that go into some of these grant1086applications are more suitable and easier to access if you are1087a commodity crop grower. It may also require some modifications1088to make sure that all farmers can participate. Thank you. Thank1089you, Mr. Chairman.1090    Chairman Boozman. Senator Marshall.1091    Senator Marshall. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.1092    Welcome, Mr. Fordyce. We are glad to have you here. My1093first question will have to do with AGI limits and off-farm1094income. Personally, I was real impressed, and my farmers back1095home, how swiftly USDA administered the Emergency Commodity1096Assistance Program, the Supplemental Disaster Relief Programs,1097as well to the tune of over $600 million to Kansas farmers1098alone. What I am hearing back from now is concerns about these1099AGI limits and their off-farm income.1100    More and more of our farmers, because of these tough1101economic--record drop in net farm income last year, they are1102working a job--a full-time job off the farm. Their spouse is1103working full-time off the farm with negative income. They are1104not hitting the 75 percent income requirement, but farming is1105their primary occupation. Any thoughts how you can work with1106our office to fix this problem?1107    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, absolutely. You know, the AGI limit is1108$900,000--well, in most programs, I think it is $900,0001109adjusted gross income. Yes, absolutely, be happy to, if1110confirmed, to work with you and your staff to understand--I1111guess maybe understand the issue maybe just a little better.1112    Senator Marshall. Okay. I look forward to that.1113    Next, I want to talk about something near and dear to my1114heart, and that is the health of Americans. Sixty percent of1115Americans have a chronic disease, and we certainly believe that1116a healthy, nutritious diet can make some improvements. It is my1117firm belief that healthy soil makes healthy food, makes healthy1118people.1119    As we look at these conservation programs within EQIP and1120RCPP, how can we get geared up to focus on that healthy soil,1121whether it is precision agriculture or technology? Any thoughts1122how we can update these programs or really prioritize soil1123health?1124    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, so I think--that is a great question,1125Senator, and again, another area that I am pretty passionate1126about, improving soil health, being an adopter of technology1127that makes sense. You know, I think that--it seems to me--and I1128do not know--I do not know really how to articulate this, but1129it seems to me that we are learning new things about soil1130health. You know, if you would have told me 10 years ago that1131after I harvested my cash crop in the fall that I am going to1132plant something else on it, I would have said, well, why would1133I do that? Well, you know, there were some folks at the time1134that knew that introducing biodiversity into the soil structure1135was a very healthy thing, and it created some benefits within1136that soil structure and so on.1137    I say that to say that innovation happens and is happening1138very quickly in that very space, and I would commit to trying1139to at least keep up with it and understanding what kind of1140opportunities there could be for FPAC agencies that could help1141either promote that, make folks aware of it, or whatever, but1142would certainly----1143    Senator Marshall. You know, as we get geared up for, you1144know, a farm bill and a conservation title, I think there are1145some great opportunities. We have early adapters out there that1146are preventing 90 percent of the chemicals from leaving the1147field. They are using 60 percent less fertilizers, pesticides.1148We have the opportunity to add bio stimulants back into the1149soil as opposed to traditional fertilizers as well. I think1150that we need some help from USDA to help us modernize1151conservation programs so that we continue to grow more with1152less, and I am asking your commitment to doing that.1153    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, Senator, I would commit to doing that.1154You know, you mentioned some, but I would--you know, biological1155nitrogen's that--you know, that are put into the soil and1156throughout the growing season, that biological nitrogen is1157feeding that corn plant or whatever grass, you know, it might1158be. Certainly, there is a lot that has been learned. There is a1159lot more that can be learned, but certainly commit to working1160with you.1161    Senator Marshall. Certainly, part of the puzzle is, again,1162we have these early adapters and it is working, but now we have1163got to spread the gospel and get more people using them. There1164may be two or three years, Mr. Chairman, when we are decreasing1165the commodity production as we go through this transition from1166traditional agriculture into modern regenerative agriculture as1167well, and I think we need to somehow stabilize that as well.1168    Mr. Fordyce. No, I agree. I, again, commit to working with1169you and your staff as we maybe learn together while we go1170forward.1171    Senator Marshall. Thank you so much. We look forward to1172working with you.1173    Chairman Boozman. Senator Ernst.1174    Senator Ernst. Thank you, Chairman Boozman.1175    To our witness today, Mr. Fordyce, congratulations on your1176nomination to you and your family. Welcome to the Committee.1177    I appreciate your testimony and your willingness to fill1178such an important role within our administration. I am also1179going to start by saying that you have quite a team waiting for1180you when you get to USDA, including a fellow Iowan, Pat1181Swanson, who is the administrator of the Risk Management1182Agency, as well as one of my former staffers as well, Matthew,1183who is now serving at FPAC. Alongside these great folks and1184with your extensive ag background as well, I have no doubt you1185are going to be able to hit the ground running, and I am really1186excited about it.1187    Mr. Fordyce, a phrase I have heard you use, ``one farmer,1188one form.'' Okay. I really like that. I know it resonates with1189my producers back in Iowa as well. A lot of our farmers are1190still juggling multiple forms across various agencies, and the1191process is very time-consuming and redundant. While some1192producers prefer walking into their local FSA offices with1193physical yield maps, others are ready for a digital option. We1194need a system that will work for both those that prefer to put1195their hands on a map and those that would like to do it1196digitally.1197    That same modernization is desperately needed when it comes1198to how USDA tracks and monitors foreign land ownership in the1199United States. The Agriculture Foreign Investment Disclosure1200Act, AFIDA, was signed into law in 1978 and has been barely1201touched since then. Even today, foreign land purchases are1202reported on paper, and staff must manually reenter each1203submission, a process that is inefficient and prone to errors,1204and I have seen this firsthand.1205    Last year, USDA's reaction to my oversight letter with1206Senator Fetterman was to add a disclaimer on their website1207saying ``Typographical errors may occur because of the manual1208nature of data entry.'' I am saying, Mr. Fordyce, that this is1209absolutely unacceptable, and I am glad that the Trump1210Administration agrees with me.1211    The recent commitments from Secretary Rollins to modernize1212the AFIDA reporting process is welcome news. It is a much-1213needed step to protect American farmland from our foreign1214adversaries. In the upcoming farm bill, I am hopeful we build1215on that momentum with my FARMLAND Act to make clear our food1216supply is not for sale, at least not to our adversaries.1217    Mr. Fordyce, if confirmed, will you commit to making USDA's1218digital modernization both for farmers and programs like AFIDA1219a top priority?1220    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, Senator. Appreciate your comments and1221certainly your questions. First of all, let me say that Pat1222Swanson is--she is fantastic.1223    Senator Ernst. She is the best.1224    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, she is great. I have known her a number1225of years.1226    You know, the ``one farmer, one form'' was just, I guess,1227me thinking about like what could be something that was short1228and maybe got to the point. I would say that we--so we started1229to work on that a little bit in the first Trump Administration,1230did not quite get it to the finish line from a modernizing1231acreage reporting standpoint. We have talked quite a bit during1232the hearing about technology and precision agriculture and1233those type things. You know, we do not know the number of1234farmers that employ precision agriculture on their farms.1235Depending on where you are located in the country, you know,1236that number can--that number--that percentage number can be1237pretty high.1238    Those farmers right now are sharing that data with their1239seed supplier, their fertilizer company, their crop insurance1240company, if that crop insurance company has the ability to1241accept it. I think it makes a lot of sense to be able to get1242you--get the three agencies and to--maybe more than NRCS, but1243to get them in a position to be able to accept that data.1244    You know, my hope would be is that, as a farmer is planting1245his or her crop, that they are actually populating a--an1246acreage report as they are progressing through planting season.1247I mean, that would be fantastic. That certainly will be1248priority one from a technology modernization standpoint, and1249AFIDA as well. I was director of the Missouri Department of1250Agriculture. I was responsible for that reporting at the state1251level and then as the FSA administrator. There is certainly1252probably some better technologies to be able to capture that1253information.1254    Senator Ernst. Absolutely. Well, thank you, Mr. Fordyce. I1255do have some questions I will submit for the record regarding125645Z as well. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.1257    Thank you, Chair.1258    Chairman Boozman. Thank you. Senator Justice.1259    Senator Justice. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and all1260those in the room and especially you, Mr. Fordyce, and1261everything.1262    My comments are going to be just generalized. I mean, I1263could get in the weeds on a lot of stuff with you and1264everything, but it is refreshing to think that we have got a1265superstar from Missouri, which has done all kinds of stuff. He1266is a farmer, you know. It is so refreshing to have you.1267    With that being said, you know, you may not know this,1268but--and I do not say this terribly braggadociously, but a1269little bit, you know, my family's been in the farming business1270for 7,000 years. With all that being said, we are eight times1271national corn growing champions. I could get in the weeds right1272with you.1273    I absolutely want you to know that I support you through1274and through. I know a lot about you. Absolutely, I am so proud1275of the job that you are going to do because you are going to do1276so much good for the greatest people on the planet, and that is1277all there is to it. These people are the most giving, the1278kindest. They have the most passion for what they do. It is off1279the chart. Innovative, are you kidding me? They are a1280production engine like you cannot fathom. What their1281contribution is to every single one of us is just limitless.1282    I absolutely want you to protect them and help them and do1283anything and everything in your power to legally, no matter1284what it may be, do everything you can possibly do to help them1285because I just think--and I have said it 10,000 times, but I1286just think tomorrow if they decided, well, I am going to leave1287the farm, I am going to sell out, they would do so much better1288financially, it is unbelievable, but yet they have a love and a1289passion for what they do that drives them to do greatness for1290all of us every single day.1291    With all that being said, you know, Senator Marshall just1292spoke about innovation, and I just thought to myself, my1293goodness, are you kidding me? From where we have come to where1294we are today and what the horizons are in the future, it is1295limitless beyond belief.1296    You know, Senator Ernst just said, you know, ``one farmer,1297one form.'' Well, I do not know why we cannot almost in America1298get to one American, one form. I mean, we do not need to keep1299making it so difficult for all of us all the time.1300    All I can do is just ask you to just do what I know you1301will do, and that is you will stand up for the greatest people1302on the planet in my book.1303    That is all I have got. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman.1304    Chairman Boozman. I think that was very well said. Thank1305you, Senator Justice.1306    Senator Bennet is on his way, so let's see what we got1307here.1308    Mr. Fordyce. Senator, thank you and appreciated those1309words. That was very, very well said.1310    Chairman Boozman. Senator Bennet is on the way, so we will1311wait just a minute or so for him to get here. Thank you.1312Appreciate you.1313    Senator Bennet. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.1314    Chairman Boozman. Take your time. Senator Bennet, when you1315get ready.1316    Senator Bennet. Thank you. I really appreciate it. We were1317at the Intelligence Committee. Actually, we were not, I was,1318but I appreciate it.1319    Nice to see you, Mr. Fordyce. Thank you for being here. I1320wanted to ask you first about staffing and red tape. Colorado1321producers are always telling me how important local NRCS and1322FSA offices are, yet these offices are stretched very, very1323thin, as you probably know, and they have lost valuable1324experience and know-how in recent months. I am just curious,1325with fewer staff on the ground, how you are going to cut red1326tape and streamline processes to keep up with demand and to1327make sure that we can ensure timely and on-the-ground support1328out of these local offices?1329    Every single year that I have been here, I have had this1330conversation with people in Republican administrations and1331Democratic administrations, and everybody commits to do the1332same thing, and things never, ever get better. Let me ask for1333your perspective.1334    Mr. Fordyce. Well, Senator, that is a great question, you1335know, certainly something that is certainly important. You1336know, I said earlier, I was talking about FSA staff, but this1337goes across the mission area. You know, they are some of the1338best people you will ever meet, whether they are implementing1339conservation or they are helping a farmer sign up for a program1340or whatever. They are the best people. They are passionate1341about agriculture and certainly understand it.1342    You know, I think that any time there is an opportunity to1343reduce red tape, I think we ought to look at what that is. You1344know, I am--I hate to answer this way because I have had to do1345that on a few questions today, but, you know, I am not in the1346building. It has been a number of years since I have been a1347part of USDA and so understanding what that red tape is and how1348we can reduce that, I mean, I think that is just good1349government and good management.1350    Senator Bennet. I appreciate that. As you get into the job,1351I hope we will have the opportunity to talk about it more, and1352this Committee maybe should have a conversation with folks1353about that in the Department. Do you have a view--I was not1354here earlier--about how to rebuild the staffing in the agency?1355    Mr. Fordyce. Well, you know, and I have not--I do not have1356access to the data of the folks that either took the early1357retirement and, you know, where they are, where those numbers1358are geographically, how do they--how is that dispersed across1359the country? Certainly, looking forward to--if confirmed, to1360get in and looking at that data and understanding, you know1361where those places are, where we may have some coverage issues.1362    I think that--and we talked a little bit about technology1363improvements and things, and I think--I mean, I think we can1364bridge some gaps there if we can figure out ways where we1365talk--you talked about red tape. We also talked about some--1366earlier talked about some antiquated platforms that support a1367lot of the programs. The one I am more familiar with would be1368the Farm Service Agency and looking at ways to improving that1369would be another thing that I would----1370    Senator Bennet. Yes, sorry, Mr. Fordyce----1371    Mr. Fordyce. No, no, no.1372    Senator Bennet [continuing]. I have one more question to1373ask. I would tell you that I have never heard a producer--and1374these folks are generally fairly sensitive about bloated1375government. They are fairly sensitive about inefficient1376government and frustrated with inefficient government. I have1377never heard one of them say there are too many people in these1378offices. What I have heard them say is that they are not1379getting the people that they need, and in Colorado, at least,1380we are not paying the salaries we need to be able to attract1381people to these offices. I think we had massive challenges1382before these layoffs, and those challenges have only grown.1383Just stay in touch and we will have to continue to work on this1384together.1385    Let me ask you one other question. In Colorado, farmers and1386ranchers manage over 30 million acres of land. A lot of that1387land is in areas that are facing threats of drought and1388wildfire. Programs like EQIP and CRP are not just1389conservation--you know, they are not just about conservation in1390Colorado, they are about helping producers literally stay1391afloat. These tools give farmers a way to manage risks in a1392changing environment and climate while keeping their operations1393running and providing financial stability. How can we1394strengthen these conservation tools, make them more responsive1395to our producers to ensure that they remain a reliable part of1396the farm safety net?1397    Mr. Fordyce. Yes, I think--and we talked a little bit about1398CRP earlier in the hearing, and I think that CRP has evolved1399over the years and it is--you know, I think there are over 401400different CRP practices that are available that accomplish1401different goals depending on what that landowner wants to1402accomplish, but certainly would look forward to visiting with1403you if confirmed, your staff, to understand more about issues1404that may be specific to Colorado, but would commit to1405continuing the conversation.1406    Senator Bennet. I appreciate that.1407    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your indulgence and1408thank you for having this hearing.1409    Chairman Boozman. You are always worth the wait.1410    [Laughter.]1411    Chairman Boozman. Thank you for being so active on the1412Committee.1413    Before adjourning, I ask for unanimous consent to include1414in the hearing record a statement by Senator Schmitt of1415Missouri supporting the nomination of Mr. Fordyce to the1416position of Under Secretary. Without objection, so ordered.1417    [The letter can be found on pages 39-40 in the appendix.]1418    Chairman Boozman. Thank you again for being here and1419appearing before the Committee.1420    To our Committee Members, we appreciate their participation1421and, as always, the hard work of our staff in getting these1422things together.1423    The record will remain open for two business days. Today's1424hearing is now adjourned.1425    [Whereupon, at 4:23 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.]14261427=======================================================================14281429                            A P P E N D I X14301431                             July 23, 202514321433=======================================================================14341435[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]14361437=======================================================================14381439                   DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD14401441                             July 23, 202514421443=======================================================================14441445[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]14461447=======================================================================14481449                         QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS14501451                             July 23, 202514521453=======================================================================14541455[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]14561457                                 [all]