Statement by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the Intent to Nominate Stacy Dean to Serve as Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services

Jan 25, 2023

“Since the first day of the Biden-Harris Administration, Stacy Dean has been at the forefront of advancing food and nutrition security for all Americans as the Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNCS). Stacy’s commitment during her time at USDA and throughout her career makes her the ideal person to serve as Under Secretary for FNCS. In her time as Deputy Under Secretary, Stacy has sought to increase nutrition assistance for struggling Americans, ensure all children have access to healthy meals at school, and tackle barriers ingrained within nutrition programs. She played a pivotal role in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, the first conference of its kind in over 50 years. Prior to joining USDA, Stacy served as Vice President for Food Assistance Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), where her team reported on the impacts of federal nutrition programs and developed policies to improve them. Before her role with CBPP, she was a budget analyst with the Office of Management and Budget. Stacy has unparalleled depth of knowledge and experience in the field of food and nutrition, within USDA and beyond. I am excited that the President has nominated her and hope that she will have the opportunity to continue to shape the nation's food and nutrition policy as the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services.”

Source : usda.gov

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.