WASHINGTON — The Biden Administration recently appointed Scott Halpin as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Illinois Farm Service Agency (FSA). Halpin joined the Illinois FSA team on Jan. 3, 2022.
“Individuals selected to serve as FSA State Executive Directors are incredible public servants who have a proven track record when it comes to their commitment to advance their states and communities,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Each will serve on the frontlines, carrying out USDA’s mission at the state level and ensuring the voice of each and every USDA customer is heard. We are fortunate to have each of these talented individuals at this critical time for farmers and producers and rural communities across America.”
Halpin owns and operates Halpin Farms and Halpin Farms Cattle with his parents and brother. The farm is primarily a row-crop operation in a corn and soybean rotation, but also includes hay and silage production.
He follows a long family tradition of civic engagement, achieving many leadership positions within local and state level agricultural organizations. Halpin serves as the Kendall Grundy County Farm Bureau president after leading the two counties through the complicated process of merging their memberships. During his ten-year service on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) and Country Financial, Halpin served a term as chairman for the Member Services and Public Relations committee. He previously served as Chairman of the IFB Young Leaders and was also a director and later president of the Grundy County Soil and Water Conservation District. Halpin is also a member of Illinois Corn Growers Association and the Illinois Beef Association.
Halpin recently traveled to Kenya and Israel to learn about international trade issues as a member of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program Class of 2020. He made similar agricultural market study tours to Vietnam with the Illinois Farm Bureau and to Germany with the German American Chamber of Commerce. He served on Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s agricultural transition team. Halpin received an Associate’s Degree in Agriculture Production from Joliet Junior College and was an adjunct instructor for the college concerning dairy science.
As SED, Halpin will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of FSA programs to agricultural producers in Illinois. These commodity, conservation, credit, and disaster assistance programs ensure a safe, affordable, abundant, and nutritious food, fiber, and fuel supply for consumers.
“The State Executive Director is a pivotal leadership position for the Agency and for the agricultural producers we serve,” said Marcus Graham, FSA Deputy Administrator for Field Operations. “These leaders, appointed by the Biden-Harris Administration, bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to their respective states. We are happy to have them on board and wish them much success.”
Farm Service Agency serves farmers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural partners through the effective, efficient, and equitable delivery of federal agricultural programs. The Agency offers producers a strong safety net through the administration of farm commodity and disaster programs. Additionally, through conservation programs, FSA continues to preserve and protect natural resources and provides credit to agricultural producers who are unable to receive private, commercial credit, including targeted loan funds for beginning, underserved, women and military veterans involved in production agriculture.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
— USDA Farm Service Agency
