Tony Gudajtes joins USDA Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
With a passion for serving rural communities, Tony Gudajtes, EVP & Ag Market President, is excited to put his 20 years of experience in agribusiness banking and crop insurance to good use in Washington. Tony was recently appointed by the USDA to serve on their Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Advisory Committee and attended its first meeting at the end of October. He will serve a 2-year term with the USDA until September 17, 2021, alongside his role here at Choice Bank and we couldn’t be prouder!
“I am hopeful that my work with the USDA will have a positive reaching impact on beginning farmers and ranchers across our country.”
During his appointment, Tony will advise Sonny Perdue, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, on matters, policies, and programs impacting beginning farmers and ranchers. He will also work with the committee to enhance opportunities for beginning farmers and ranchers, including access to land and capital, farmer and rancher recruitment and retention, relief from labor and taxation challenges, and more.
“It’s a huge honor to be chosen to serve on the USDA’s Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers,” says Tony. “I’ve been working with farmers and ranchers for over 20 years and I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to the table. I am hopeful that my work with the USDA will have a positive reaching impact on beginning farmers and ranchers across our country.”
“He has worked tirelessly to oversee that the interests of our ag communities are represented within our organization.”
The committee is made up of 20 members total who were appointed by the USDA based on self-nominations or nominations by others. Members are representative of a variety of industries and organizations involved in agriculture such as: state beginning farming programs, commercial lenders, private non-profit organizations with active beginning farmer or rancher programs, The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, educational institutions with demonstrated experience in training beginning farmers and ranchers, and other entities or persons providing assistance for beginning farmers and ranchers.
“Throughout his time here at Choice, Tony has provided invaluable insight on the unique challenges and situations that our farmers and ranchers face in the industry. He has worked tirelessly to oversee that the interests of our ag communities are represented within our organization,” says CEO Brian L. Johnson. “We’re excited to see him bring that same drive and dedication for ag communities across the board to his work with the USDA.”
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