PRINCESS ANNE, MD-(October 22, 2021)-The U.S. Department of Agriculture Senior Advisor for Racial Equity will be the keynote speaker at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension’s Small Farm Conference. His address will be during a luncheon on November 6, the second day of the conference, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Dr. Dewayne Goldmon was appointed by the Biden-Harris administration in March to serve in the advisory post to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on a broad range of matters related to racial equity and justice.
“We need to accelerate a transformation of our food system, and that begins with embracing a call for racial justice and equity across food, agriculture and rural America,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “With Dewayne’s guidance, we will build a USDA that represents and serves all Americans—a USDA that is committed to ensuring equity across the Department, removing barriers to access and rooting out systemic discrimination, and building a workforce that reflects all of America.”
The southeast Arkansas farmer has over 30 years of experience in the agricultural industry. He joined the USDA from the National Black Growers Council where he served as the executive director in 2020. He helped form the Washington, D.C.-based organization whose mission is to advocate for Black, row crop farmers, helping them improve efficiency, productivity and sustainability. Prior to that, he had a two-decade career with Monsanto (later acquired by Bayer Crop Sciences) in various positions in research and development related to southern row crops (soybeans, rice and cotton) which ended with his retirement as the outreach lead for Bayer Crop Sciences.
Goldmon holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Arkansas and a doctorate from Iowa State University, all in agronomy.
To register for UMES Extension’s Small Farm Conference, visit www.umes.edu/SANS/Events or call 410-621-5450.
Gail Stephens, agricultural communications and media associate, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, gcstephens@umes.edu, 410-621-3850.
