U of A Visit Opens USDA Fall Forum Series On Agricultural Issues

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Michael Scuse, acting deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – U.S. Department of Agriculture Acting Deputy Secretary Michael Scuse, Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward and other industry leaders were at the University of Arkansas on Monday to bring attention to issues related to the future of agriculture.

The USDA has scheduled a series of forums at leading universities across the country, and the U of A was the first stop. The School of Law and Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences partnered to present the New Farmers and Land Tenure Fall Forum. Various speakers addressed the crowd while a morning panel discussed opportunities and challenges for new, beginning and the next generation of farmers, and an afternoon panel focused on land tenure, land access and land transition.

Scuse delivered the keynote address, pointing out 30 percent of farms are owned by landlords who do not farm, the average age of the American farmer is 58 and rising, and around 10 percent (93 million acres) of farmland is expected to be transferred over the next few years. In 1996, the USDA established an advisory committee, and for 20 years, the top three challenges have been access to land, access to affordable land and access to land with longevity.

“We need to recruit farmers for the future so we can continue to have the most abundant, safest and cost-efficient food supply available anywhere in the world,” said Scuse. “This is the first forum, and each will focus on an agricultural issue and lay the groundwork for the next administration to build on.”

Ward reminded the group one of every six jobs in Arkansas is related to agriculture (280,000) and the industry has a $20 billion impact on the state.

“Our state is diverse and presents a lot of opportunities for people who are interested,” said Ward. “We are excited to help serve the agricultural industry of Arkansas and make sure the next generation has an environment it wants to come into.”

Lona Robertson, Bumpers College interim dean, shared the college’s focus on teaching and education, research, and service and extension. Graduates are prepared for professional careers in areas of animal and plant sciences, agricultural production and processing, environmental stewardship and sustainability, animal welfare, education, communications, technology, finance and risk management, and law and policy, among others.

“To say we do a little bit of everything would be accurate,” said Robertson. “To say we are good at all of it would be even more accurate.”

Stacy Leeds, dean of the School of Law, closed the forum by noting the LL.M. program, the first advanced law degree in agricultural and food law in the nation, has produced more than 300 graduates in 40 states and 18 countries, including 10 U of A alumni working for the USDA.

“Everyone involved in setting policy for agriculture is one of our students, has been one of our students (through the online program) or we have brought them in as guest faculty,” said Leeds.

U of A Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz greeted the group prior to the morning session. “The future of agriculture is of great interest around here,” said Steinmetz. “We are deeply committed to our land grant roots, and we need to make sure our next generation of farmers have all they need to succeed.”