The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has selected two Texans to serve on its Minority Farmers Advisory Committee (MFAC).
Igalious “Ike” Mills, the state legislative liaison for Texas Small Farmers and Ranchers in Port Arthur, and Frederick Newhouse, owner of Newhouse Land and Cattle of Houston, were among those named to the committee, which held its first public hearing in September in Georgia.
During that meeting, the committee reportedly considered a number of related issues including the USDA’s outreach and assistance of Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Grant Program (also known as the 2501 Program).
The committee members will serve two year appointments that will expire in June 2017.
Other members of the committee include: Alfonzo Abeyta of A Quarter Circle Lazy 5 Ranch, Antonito, Colo.; Terry A. Cannon of The Piney Woods School, Braxton, Miss.; Jennie Crittendon of FSA County Office Committee, Jackson, Mich.; Claud D. Evans of Okfuskee County Veterinary Clinic, Okemah, Okla.; Paula Garcia (Chair) of New Mexico Acequia Association, Mora, N.M.; Dewayne L. Goldmon of Monsanto/National Black Growers Council, Pine Bluff, Ark.; Edward C. DeLeon Guerrero of Saipan Farm and Garden, Saipan, M.P.; William R. Miller Jr. of Ohio Farmers Union, Oxford, Ohio; Harvey Reed of Louisiana Association of Cooperatives, Gretna, La.; Renard F. Turner of Virginia State University, Gordonsville, Va.; Randall S. Ware (Vice Chair) Indian Country Agriculture and Resource Development Corp., Fort Cobb, Okla.; Charles Linwood Whitaker of Whitaker Small Farm Group, Raleigh, N.C.; and John Zippert of Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Eutaw, Ala.
Additional information about the committee can be found here: http://1.usa.gov/1M0CKJS.