Q&A: Debra Crusoe, new head of Minnesota's USDA Farm Service Agency

A congressional committee has chosen a long-time civil servant as executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency in Minnesota.

Deb Crusoe started out at the Farm Service Agency 29 years ago in a temporary job without benefits, and worked her way up the ranks. The agency administers federal and state loan, conservation and disaster programs for farmers. Crusoe most recently served as a district director in central Minnesota.

Crusoe said there is an emerging group of farmers who don't know about the programs the Farm Service Agency provides.

"A lot of people don't know who the FSA is. We have a lot of work to do in outreach," Crusoe said. "We're reaching out to niche farmers and some of the minority groups farming in the metro area."

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Crusoe has lived in Meeker County for nearly 40 years with her husband, Gary, who farms crops and cattle. She starts her new job as state executive director on Monday.

MPR News: Do you have any priorities you want people to know about?

Deb Crusoe: I have so many things I want to do. I believe that I'm looking forward to working with their groups and seeing what we can do to make the process easier for them. We have microloans, which is a new farm loan program where it makes it easier for small-based farms to apply for financing - loans for financing.

We're waiting for a Farm Bill to come out. We're looking forward to administering all those programs.

MPR News: Do you have any priorities you want people to know about?

Deb Crusoe: Under the Farm Bill we administer farm loan programs, which are loans to producers that need assistance for beginning farmers.

We also provide the conservation programs, the conservation reserve program. We administer that program, we administer disaster programs for farmers and ranchers and we administer other farm programs.

MPR News: if there were more information available, would more people would seek the opportunities you provide?

Deb Crusoe: I think so. Obviously, the agricultural community knows who the farm service agency is but there are a lot of metro folks and folks doing niche farming that probably don't know we've got some programs that benefit them. So yes, I think with getting the word out we can reach out to those that don't know about us.

MPR News: Why is it important to focus on niche farmers right now?

Deb Crusoe: Our soybean and other producers have become larger. More smaller farms in the metro area and also where I live in Meeker County. We don't really sell anything. We serve the farmers of America in all aspects. We have a milk program for subsidies when the prices are low to keep those farmers in business until things balance out.

MPR News: Are people waiting for the Farm Bill?

Deb Crusoe: These farmers are chomping at the bit to get in the field. Things are late. They should have been in the field already. And obviously in southeast Minnesota they aren't going to be in the field.