Skip Navigation
You are here:  USDA Home / DM / OAO / Small & Beginning / About the Committee
Stay Connected
  • USDA In Facebook
  • USDA In Twitter
  • USDA In Youtube
  • USDA govdelivery
  • USDA In Flickr
  • USDA RSS


About the Advisory Committee

The Agricultural Credit Improvement Act of 1992 (Pub. L. 102-554) required the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (Committee). The purpose of the Committee is to advise the Secretary on (1) the development of a program of coordinated financial assistance to qualified beginning farmers and ranchers required by Section 309 (i) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (this program consists of Federal and state beginning farmer programs that provide joint financing to beginning farmers and ranchers); (2) methods of maximizing the number of new farming and ranching opportunities created through the program; (3) methods of encouraging States to participate in the program; (4) the administration of the program; and (5) other methods of creating new farming or ranching opportunities.
 
The Committee was formally established on November 25, 1998. Since then, the Committee has met eight times and issued many recommendations to the Secretary. Numerous recommendations have been implemented by the Department.