ND farmer, FSA deputy administrator gives records modernization thumbs up

WEST FARGO, N.D. — The Farm Service Agency’s One File, One Farmer, was given a public nod of approval by one of North Dakota’s most recognized producers at the Big Iron Farm and Construction Show Jared Hagert, Farm Service Agency Deputy Administrator of Farm Programs and a farmer from Emerado, North Dakota, told producers on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at a presentation sponsored by the Red River Farm Network, that the U.S. Agriculture Department’s initiative will simplify its assistance both to farmers and the staff who serve them. ADVERTISEMENT The One Farm, One File program is not meant to replace Farm Service Agency staff, but to increase efficiency and improve its service to farmers by doing so, he said. One Farm, One File, announced by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, in February 2026, is designed to reduce farmers’ paperwork and unify Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency records. “I’m really, really excited where we're heading with modernization,” Hagert said. Grand Forks County, North Dakota, where Hagert farms, initially was selected for the acreage reporting modernization pilot program, but there was so much interest from FSA offices in other areas of the United States that 80 more counties from across the country and two states were added, Hagert said. “Instead of program division — saying ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa’ — they said ‘Go, go, go,’” he said. Farmers who participated in the acreage reporting modernization system were able to upload data from their maps electronically. Under the existing system, they have to file a report with the Farm Service Agency. The acreage reporting modernization pilot program wasn’t perfect in its delivery to farmers, and there likely still will be issues that will be discovered in the future, but the problems can be fixed in, at most, days, Hagert said. ADVERTISEMENT Hagert urged farmers to sign up for login.gov, so they have access to One Farm, One File, if they have not yet done so. The acreage reporting modernization program is just the beginning of the Farm Service Agency’s One Farm, One File initiative, which eventually will include access to their disaster assistance, farm loans and other payments from farmers’ computers or phones. “Everything is right there in one spot,” Hagert said. ‘We’re going to meet the farmers where they’re at if they want to do everything remotely or electronically. “If not, come on in; we’re open.” Farm Service Agency county offices remain vital, Hagert said. “That’s our program delivery service,” he said. Hagert’s experience working in the agency has proven to him that it is a misconception that it doesn’t care about its farmer customers. ADVERTISEMENT “We are actually extremely responsive to farmers and ranchers and trying to move as fast as we can,” he said. Hagert said county FSA offices see extreme competition to hire employees in some areas but less in others. He encourages farmers to contact the Farm Service Agency if they have a concern. “It’s got to be communication both ways. If you have an issue, see a problem, let us know."