Mayo —
Future Farmers of America (FFA) member Cecelia Koon addressed the USDA management team on behalf of concerned farmers, ranchers and citizens to protest the closing of the USDA office in Lafayette County. Koon was one of dozens who spoke out at the meeting on Thursday, Feb. 2.
The USDA announced on Jan. 9 that 259 domestic offices, facilities and labs across the country, as well as seven foreign offices will be closing in order to streamline and modernize the department, which they say is central to meeting the evolving needs of a 21st century agricultural economy.
Offices targeted for closure, according to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, are non-staffed offices, offices with two or fewer full time employees, and offices that are within 20 miles (using a straight measure "as the crow flies") of neighboring USDA offices.
If body language was any indication of true feelings, then the sight of many crossed arms in the audience at the town meeting indicated folks were on the defensive. Others looked as if they were praying for a miracle, as they listened to opening statements about the cuts from FSA State Executive Director Tim Manning, who has been with FSA for over 30 years.
Manning and his team, FSA Communications Coordinator Mark Cotrell, Agricultural Program Specialist Debbie Hendrix, and FSA District Director Michael Allbritton, jotted down notes as each citizen spoke up with concerns about the consolidation efforts; notes they wil take back to Secretary Vilsack.
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