Serving Those Who Feed Us: Tommy Higgins Explains FSA County Committees

How do farmers help shape USDA programs in their communities?In this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Glenda Pereira and Colt Knight welcome Tommy Higgins, Maine state executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, for a conversation about the important role FSA county committees play in supporting agriculture.Higgins shares his journey from military service to leading Maine’s Farm Service Agency. He also explains how local producers help guide FSA programs through county committees. The discussion covers who can serve, how committee members are nominated and elected and why producer participation is essential to ensuring local voices are heard.The conversation also highlights several FSA programs available to producers, including farm ownership and operating loans, Dairy Margin Coverage, farm storage facility loans, specialty crop assistance and disaster programs that help farmers recover from drought, severe weather, livestock losses and other unexpected challenges.Whether you are a beginning farmer, an established producer or simply want to better understand the resources available through USDA, this episode offers practical information about how FSA serves Maine agriculture and how you can become involved.Listen to our previous episode, “Episode 44: Farm Service Agency with Lucia Brown and Amanda May”County Committee Elections (nomination deadline Aug. 3, 2026)Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program (enrollment deadline Aug. 7, 2026)University of Maine Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity institution and provider committed to nondiscrimination. For more information, visit extension.umaine.edu/nondiscrimination.