GREAT FALLS — The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the appointment of 20 new members to its advisory committee for beginning farmers and ranchers.
One of those is Ali Moxley, a Montana Farmers Union member who participated in the Farmers Union Enterprises Leadership program (FUEL), as well as founder and owner of A.Moxley Consulting where she focuses on helping producers access funding.
She hopes to use her experience in the grant and funding world to help young farmers and ranchers from Montana navigate the logistical challenges of small to medium-sized agricultural production.
This includes new funding opportunities, policy changes, and the Farm Bill.
“I initially got into the grant and funding world through the lens of a producer and worked on that project and sort of just recognized some of the challenges and opportunities to accessing some of that funding for new farmers,” says Moxley. “For the USDA Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, I’m really hoping to represent a group of people that I’ve met along the way through various levels of work here in Montana.”
The FUEL program helped provide Moxley her useful advocacy and communication skills.
She plans to work with beginning farmer and rancher MFU members to bring forward their concerns.
“I’m looking for opportunities for policy that can continue to support them, and new policy ideas that could be brought to the table, how the farm bill is going to show up and support beginning farmers and ranchers, and potentially new funding opportunities that could be developed to continue to sports, those things along the way,” says Moxley.
Click here to learn more about the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers.
