Ag Policy Blog

Trump Names Four USDA Undersecretary Nominees

Jerry Hagstrom
By  Jerry Hagstrom , DTN Political Correspondent
President-elect Donald Trump announced USDA undersecretary nominees for Farm Production and Conservation, Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, and Natural Resource and the Environment. (DTN file photo by Chris Clayton)

WASHINGTON, (DTN) -- President-elect Donald Trump has announced a slate of undersecretary nominees for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Trump announced through his Transition Team and Truth Social that he will nominate Richard Fordyce as Agriculture undersecretary for farm production and conservation, Dudley Hoskins as undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, Luke Lindberg as undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, and Michael Boren as undersecretary for natural resources and environment.

Richard Fordyce will be the next United States undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation at the Department of Agriculture.

Fordyce is a fourth-generation soy, corn, and beef cattle farmer, who served as the administrator of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) during Trump's first term, and was formerly Missouri's director of Agriculture.

On Truth Social, Trump stated of Fordyce, "He will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Agriculture Nominee, Brooke Rollins, to ensure that our incredible American Farmers and Ranchers have the support they need to feed our Great Nation, and the World."

Luke Lindberg will serve as the next undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs at the Department of Agriculture.

During Trump's first term Lindberg served as chief of staff and chief strategy officer at the Export-Import Bank. He is currently the President & CEO of South Dakota Trade, and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of District Export Councils.

"Luke will work to make sure American Farmers and Ranchers get the smart Trade Deals that they deserve," Trump stated.

Michael Boren will serve as the United States Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment at the Department of Agriculture.

Boren is a businessman, who has founded six companies, including Clearwater Analytics. He has also served as a volunteer fireman for Sawtooth Valley Rural Fire Department, and as a board member of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.

"Michael will work to reinvigorate Forest Management at a time when it is desperately needed," Trump stated.

Dudley Hoskins will be the undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the Department of Agriculture.

Hoskins currently serves as counsel on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and previously spent four years at USDA during Trump's first term as the chief of staff for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, and senior advisor to the secretary.

"He will work with our great Secretary of Agriculture Nominee, Brooke Rollins, to make sure American food is the safest and healthiest in the World, Trump stated.

Rollins' confirmation hearing is set for Jan. 23 before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee.

Each of the undersecretary nominees also will have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

The American Soybean Association on Thursday congratulated Fordyce, Hoskins and Lindberg.

ASA CEO Steve Censky, who served as Agriculture deputy secretary in the first Trump administration, said in a statement, "As a fourth-generation farmer himself, Richard understands the importance of farm, risk management, and conservation programs to farmers."

"He has been a leader not only within the soybean industry, but also for the state of Missouri and then all of the United States during his time as administrator of USDA's Farm Service Agency. I know from working with him in all these roles that he will do an incredible job for American agriculture, and I'm thrilled by his nomination."

"Likewise," Censky said, "I'm so pleased with the nomination of Dudley Hoskins. Dudley has been a longstanding friend of U.S. soybean farmers. Having the opportunity to work closely with him during my time as deputy secretary at USDA, he has a deep background in agriculture policy and understands how the work of the MRP mission area impacts U.S. farmers and ranchers."

"I also want to congratulate and welcome Luke Lindberg to the USDA family. From his work leading South Dakota's trade expansion efforts, Luke understands the importance of trade to farmers, ranchers, and rural America. ASA looks forward to continuing our work with the TFAA mission area on trade issues, including the continued development of new markets and the expansion of existing markets for U.S. soy."

Politico also reported Trump also is expected to name Tyler Clarkson to be USDA general counsel, although the Trump transition team has not confirmed that.

Politico noted, "Clarkson served as USDA's deputy general counsel in the first Trump administration and previously worked in Trump's first Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs"

"He is currently vice president and deputy general counsel at Ginkgo Bioworks, a biotechnology company that helps develop ingredients for vaccines, fertilizers and alternative proteins, according to his online profile on LinkedIn," Politico reported.

On a separate note, former Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., has joined the Liberty Partners Group lobbying firm. Stabenow spent four terms in the U.S. Senate.

DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton contributed to this report.

Jerry Hagstrom can be reached at jhagstrom@nationaljournal.com

Follow him on social platform X @hagstromreport

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

Follow him on social platform X @ChrisClaytonDTN

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