Richard Fordyce: Farmer ‘Raises His Hand’ For A Lifetime Of Advocacy
By: Emma Alexander -
Richard Fordyce grows corn, soybeans, wheat and raises cattle near Bethany in newly designated #Agri-Ready Harrison County. He and his wife, Renee, advocate for Missouri agriculture through professional careers and multiple volunteer roles. Richard leverages his valuable experience from decades of service to help the agricultural community build strong partnerships and encourage peers and colleagues to advocate. He embodies this principle in the agriculture industry where so few people make such an impact, and advocacy is an imperative responsibility.
1% of the 1%
“The people of production agriculture are only 1% of U.S. society. It is a reasonable approximation that only 1% of those professionals are advocating for their industry,” Richard describes. Throughout his agricultural advocacy career, Richard shares two tenets with others. “First, I encourage agriculturalists to budget time or money for advocacy as part of their farm business on an annual basis,” Richard says. “Second, I emphasize the real responsibility for the people of agriculture to tell the good story of agriculture. Get used to raising your hand; it is critical that the people of agriculture tell agriculture’s story.”
A Variety of Volunteering
Richard has been a Farm Bureau volunteer since 1985 and served as president of the Harrison County Farm Bureau Board (USB) for 17 years. He and Renee helped to establish the Harrison County Cattlemen’s Association. Richard served the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council (MSMC) for 25 years, which included service on the United Soybean Board. He also completed a tenure of service on the Missouri Soil & Water Districts Commission.
#Agri-Ready Designated Harrison County. According to the 2021 Missouri Economic Contribution of Agriculture and Forestry Study, agriculture contributes $69.7 million in total value-added products to the county’s economy, supports more than 1,600 jobs, and adds $86.6 million to household incomes annually. Grain crops are Harrison County’s top contributing industry.
A Leader for Missouri Agriculture
As Missouri’s Director of Agriculture for Governor Jay Nixon from 2013-2017, Richard championed a state-wide beef initiative to add more value to every segment of the state’s beef industry. Missouri is consistently ranked in the top three states for cattle and calves. This initiative focused on a sizable portion of Missouri’s agriculturally driven economy by providing programs and technical assistance to beef producers interested in improving their processes.
Investing in the Next Generation of Missouri Agriculture
As Director, Richard enjoyed investing in the next generation of agriculture, mentoring and encouraging countless high school, FFA, 4-H, and collegiate students. “I wanted to prove how much our state’s Department of Agriculture valued and took pride in our youth in agriculture,” Richard shared. Richard and Renee’s two children, Emma and Ethan, learned much of what they use as successful professionals today while growing up on the family farm. Ethan looks forward to returning to the family farm business someday.
A Champion for #Agri-Ready
“I have been a fan of the Agri-Ready Designation program since its inception,” Richard says. “#Agri-Ready signs placed at county lines communicate immediately that agriculture is important in that county. Participation in the program says that local governments and decision makers are creating infrastructure and environments for the growth and development of agriculture.”
The Value of #Agri-Ready
“Agri-Ready Designation is valuable to any county,” Richard continues. “In our most rural counties, agriculture is the industry and is worthy of promotion. In counties with varied industry, the Designation is a reminder that agriculture is a valid industry that partners well with other industries to create a more vibrant local economy. Harrison County’s new Designation highlights that our county is open for business and shines a spotlight on agriculture as the economic driver of our county.”
What’s New on the Fordyce Farm
In January, Richard was nominated to serve as the Under Secretary of Farm Production and Conservation at the USDA and is awaiting confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Renee is an active licensed practical nurse in Cameron and serves on the Harrison County Community Hospital district board. She serves fellow farmers as the President of the Missouri Soybean Association (MSA). When they have free time, Richard and Renee enjoy camping together and attend the Missouri State Fair as their vacation each year. Missouri Soybeans and Missouri Farm Bureau are partners of Missouri Farmers Care.
