U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) on March 10 applauded a decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reestablish a new Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in Greeley, Colo., restoring federal services to Weld County farmers in his district.
“Farmers are the backbone of America, and Weld County is the epicenter of Colorado agriculture and American-grown food,” Rep. Evans said on Tuesday. “There should not be a world where there is not a FSA office in Greeley, and I am incredibly proud to have worked alongside USDA to advocate for and deliver this critical resource to the farmers and producers who keep Colorado’s agriculture strong and power our local economy.”
Rep. Evans spent months engaging with USDA officials to ensure agricultural producers in Colorado’s Eighth District have direct access to the federal resources they rely on to recover from disasters, maintain water and soil health, and strengthen America’s food supply, according to staff.
“When Rep. Evans brought this to my attention months ago, departmental administration, the Farm Production and Conservation mission area, and I worked to analyze the need, subsequently validating that an office in Weld County was indeed a necessity to the community,” said USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Alexander Vaden. “Weeks ago, a contract was signed, and in the near future, it will open its doors.”
The FSA office will serve as a local hub that will provide farmers and ranchers with better access to federal programs many already utilize, including disaster assistance and recovery programs, farm ownership and operating loans, conservation and water management programs, and farm registration and risk management services.
Weld County, located in Colorado’s Eighth District, ranks eighth nationally in agriculture output and is home to approximately 4,000 farms and 2.5 million acres of agricultural land, generating more than $1 billion annually in agricultural production, including beef, diary, grains, sugar beets, and specialty crops.