A growing dispute is unfolding between farmer-elected county committee leaders and top USDA officials over what many in the countryside say is a crisis-level staffing shortage in local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices.

The National Association of Farmer Elected Committees (NAFEC) issued a sharp rebuke this week after USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden claimed at the Farm Progress Show that FSA offices had sufficient staffing levels to implement new farm bill programs.

"FSA offices are critically understaffed," said Jim Zumbrink, president of NAFEC and a grain and turkey farmer from Ohio. "The word we consistently hear across counties is clear: there simply aren't enough staff to manage what's coming."

NAFEC leaders cited data showing county office staffing has fallen below 6,000 employees nationwide, down from significantly higher levels just a few years ago. With over 2,000 USDA service centers across the U.S., the strain is mounting-especially as the new One Big Beautiful Bill Act is set to add up to 30 million new base acres to program enrollment.

Kevin Dale, a retired county executive director from Oklahoma, explained the challenge: "It took four staff members six months to serve 700 livestock producers. That same office now has only two employees. Timely payments under current conditions are simply not feasible."

USDA officials have pointed to the speed of recent disaster payments as proof that FSA offices are adequately staffed. But NAFEC argues that those payments were only possible because of a full year of pre-work already done during 2024 and early 2025.

"You can't process new farm bill programs without first collecting acreage reports, eligibility forms, leases, and farm records," Zumbrink added. "That groundwork hasn't even started yet."

NAFEC cited alarming cases from Texas, the state with the largest FSA workforce, where "many offices" reportedly lack county executive directors and are operating with minimal staff.

David Senter, a legislative consultant for NAFEC and president of the American Agriculture Movement, warned that the staffing shortfall could mirror the ag crisis of the late 1970s. "We need every resource possible to protect U.S. agriculture. Fully staffed FSA offices are vital to that protection."

Recent buyouts and retirements have further hollowed out FSA offices. "We're not just missing people-we're missing decades of experience," said Bob Braden, an Iowa corn and soybean grower. "Replacing that knowledge will take years."

Jim Densberger, a Nebraska farmer and NAFEC officer, summarized the stakes: "We must address this before the system fails. Without staffing reinforcements, local offices and committee members will face public frustration for delays they can't prevent."

As new programs and disaster relief initiatives ramp up under the latest farm bill, NAFEC is urging Congress and USDA to act now-before an administrative bottleneck slows the very aid producers are counting on.