USDA Names Trump Administration Appointees to the Connecticut Farm Service Agency State Committee

Tolland, Conn. - Jan. 14, 2026 - The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced the appointment of five leaders in agriculture to serve on the Connecticut USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) state committee.

Members of the FSA state committee are appointed by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and, in support of the Trump Administration's Farmers First commitment, members of the FSA state committee are responsible for the oversight of farm programs and county committee operations, resolving program delivery appeals from the agriculture community, maintaining cooperative relations with industry stakeholders and keeping producers informed about current FSA programs.

Each FSA state committee is comprised of three to five members including a designated chairperson. The individuals appointed to serve on this committee for Connecticut are:

• Jeffrey Lipton, Chair (Somers) - Lipton operate his family's 1,500-acre diversified crop and beef operation where the farm services more than 500 farm accounts with feed, bedding, seed, and related agricultural products. He grew up on a dairy farm gaining experience in calf care, cattle feeding, and managing and harvesting 1,100 acres of corn alfalfa grass, hay, rye, wheat and oats.
• Kelly Bloom, Member (Norwalk) - Bloom is General Counsel for a fourth-generation family shellfish farm in Norwalk including over 20,000 acres of oysters and shellfish. She supports day-to-day operations and brand expansion and helped launch food trailers in Stratford and Norwalk, providing farm-to-consumer experiences.
• Shane Collett, Member (Bethlehem) - Collett is co-owner and wholesale accounts manager of a 100+ acre diversified family farm. He has over 30 years of hands-on experience in crop production, orchard management, soil health, and equipment operation.
• Joseph Geremia, Member (Wallingford) - Geremia is a third-generation producer specializing in large-scale nursery and greenhouse operations across Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York. He has transformed his greenhouse into one of the Northeast's most technologically advanced and environmentally friendly facilities.
• Kies Orr LaVack, Member (Thompson) - LaVack is a fourth-generation dairy farmer. Through the family-run farm, she operates the farm stand, corn maze, lavender gardens, and nature walks and has been owner/herdswoman since 2000 overseeing herd health, calf care, payroll, and farm operations.

"These individuals, selected by Secretary Rollins in partnership with key stakeholders in each state, are held in high regard in the agriculture industry and are entrusted to ensure FSA programs are delivered in a manner consistent with federal farm policy and in the best interest of all agricultural producers in their state," said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. "Their appointment to the FSA state committee is a testament to their standing in the industry and their dedication to the agriculture industry, rural America and President Trump's America First, Farmers First policies."

FSA helps America's farmers, ranchers and forest landowners invest in, improve, protect and expand their agricultural operations through the delivery of agricultural programs for all Americans. FSA implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster recovery and marketing programs through a national network of state and county offices and locally elected county committees. For more information, visit fsa.usda.gov.