Enhancing customer experience for agricultural communities - USDA's initiatives

Jan 15, 2024

In the wake of President Joe Biden's signing of the Executive Order Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government in December 2021, USDA has been on a mission to elevate customer experience (CX) and ensure that America's farmers, ranchers, and forest managers have greater access to its programs and services.

One of the strides taken by USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) is the simplification of the direct loan process. FSA introduced a user-friendly Loan Assistance Tool, an interactive online guide, helping customers identify the most suitable direct loan products to meet their business requirements. Furthermore, a new Online Loan Application was introduced, streamlining the loan application process, thereby offering greater convenience to agricultural stakeholders.

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has also stepped up its efforts to enhance CX. Significant improvements have been made to programs such as the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). These enhancements aim to make it easier for agricultural producers and conservation partners to participate. An example of this is the RCPP Improvement Effort, which encompasses enhancements to the RCPP portal, simplification of agreements, and streamlining the reimbursement process.

NRCS launched Act Now, a program designed for the expedited delivery of conservation practices. Act Now facilitates the immediate approval and allocation of funds for qualifying conservation program applications, playing a crucial role in the swift distribution of Inflation Reduction Act funds.

Moreover, USDA's Farm Production and Conservation Business Center initiated a groundbreaking nationwide prospective customer survey. This survey specifically targets farmers, ranchers, and forest managers who have not yet engaged with USDA programs. The objective is to gain valuable insights into their unique needs and preferences, ultimately leading to the enhancement of USDA service offerings. These initiatives underscore USDA's commitment to making government agricultural programs more accessible, equitable, and user-friendly.

USDA continues to work tirelessly to ensure positive customer experiences and expanded access to its programs, all in support of the indispensable agricultural communities that contribute significantly to our nation's food security.

Source : wisconsinagconnection

Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

Harvest is a week out and the farm picked this week to fall apart. The truck needs a battery, the barn curtain's got a problem, and the corn and beans are telling us we're out of time to get it all fixed.

So it's a full day of wrenching. Tork supervises while I get the truck back running, then we're out at the hog barn where one rusted up part has the whole curtain system hung up. Ladder work, cable work, and a little dad-and-son disagreement about the right way to do it. We close it out walking the fields, shelling beans and checking corn, because whether everything's fixed or not, harvest starts when harvest starts.

Chapters: 00:00 Everything breaks the week before harvest 01:00 Tork supervises while I fix the truck 12:30 Out to the barn to find the curtain problem 14:30 One rusty part hung up the whole curtain 20:00 Running the curtain cable from the ladder 24:00 Walking the beans and corn before harvest 26:30 Wrapping up

We're a 6th generation family farm in southeast Iowa showing the real ups and downs of pig farming and row crop farming. No script, just the work. Subscribe and follow along.

JOIN THE BARN TALK NEWSLETTER AND GET LIVE EVENT ACCESS: We're on a mission to hit 10,000 subscribers, and when we do, we're hosting a live event at the barn. Sign up for exclusive access to tickets and details.