On Thursday, September 22, the U.S Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry held a hearing to consider the nomination of Vincent Logan as a Board Member of the Farm Credit Administration (FCA). Vincent Logan is a member of the Osage Nation and if confirmed, would be the first Native American to serve on the board of FCA. Today’s hearing advances Vincent’s nomination a step forward towards confirmation by U.S. Senate.  

The FCA is an independent financial regulatory agency that oversees the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of lending institutions that serve farmers, ranchers, agricultural cooperatives, and other eligible borrowers.  

At today’s hearing, Vincent spoke about the need for access to credit, stating “Credit is critical to the success of farmers and ranchers. Production agriculture is capital intensive and heavily reliant on access to competitive credit. The cost of land, labor, equipment, and fertilizer is high, requiring both long-term and short-term financing. In addition to being costly to operate, agricultural enterprises also entail considerable risk due to variables such as weather and market forces. I am very thankful to the men and women, who despite these risks, produce food and fiber we depend on to survive.” 

“With his extensive knowledge and experience working in both agricultural and financial sectors, the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) applauds this historic nomination to a role at the Farm Credit Administration that is significant in regulating and ensuring the security and availability of credit and lending for our most underserved farmers and ranchers,” Toni Stanger-McLaughlin, CEO of the Native American Agriculture Fund.

About the Native American Agriculture Fund:

The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) provides grants to eligible organizations for business assistance, agricultural education, technical support, and advocacy services to support Native farmers and ranchers. The charitable trust was created by the settlement of the landmark Keepseagle v. Vilsack class-action lawsuit. NAAF is the largest philanthropic organization devoted solely to serving the Native American farming and ranching community.