political leadership starts it, but it is not-- and our political leadership working with them sometimes in private diplomacy, sometimes in public diplomacy.

We are now a year in, and we are watching as those conservation programs take shape.

Can you tell us how your agencies collaborate with other USDA agencies like ERS, ARS, and climate hubs?

Farmers in my district in central Virginia know how important these conservation programs are, because they use them to boost soil health, improve water quality, protect wildlife habitat, and reduce soil erosion.

I've been glad to see an increased focus on important issues like soil health, water quality, and water supply.

Our farmers in Virginia know what works for their land and for their ecosystems, the land that they have operated for generations, and they know it far better than anyone else.

As we are moving toward the congressional appropriations process, I was wondering if you might dive into that question a bit more of where are we spending too much money?

Sustainable agriculture must be a welcoming and rewarding profession, especially for our historically underserved producers.

Historically underserved farmers face a range of unique challenges.

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We must continue to invest in and shape conservation programs so that they better account for structural barriers.