Helping Farming Families Grow Strong
Author: Meg Henderson
Robert Hosford (Photo by Submitted)
Born into a farming family in Natchez, Robert Hosford's Mississippi roots run deep. While today, he resides in North Carolina with his daughter, his family was one of the first to settle Adams and Jefferson counties in the 1700s, and the family still lives on the property in Jefferson County. His grandfather, Joe Bullen, lived in Old Main and graduated from MSU. He was a USDA employee for over four decades and raised beef cattle and row crops on the family farm in Canton.
After graduating from MSU in Agricultural Communications, Hosford moved to Washington, D.C. to work for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association as associate director of agricultural policy.
"Going into that role, I thought I knew something because I grew up on a ranch," he said. "But I quickly learned that what went on in D.C. affected my family and neighbors, and it felt good to play a role in advocating on their behalf."
In the late 1990s, Hosford moved to Fort Worth, Texas to direct government relations and public affairs for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, a three-state organization with 20,000 members.
"I found myself leaning heavily on what I learned at MSU when I began this job since I was constantly working with media outlets, congressional delegations and state legislatures in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Washington, D.C.," he said.
While in Texas, Hosford began taking on private clients in industries including transportation, energy, and agribusiness interests but returned to Washington D.C. when he received a presidential appointment in the George W. Bush administration. For the next five years, Hosford served as Chief of Staff for the USDA's Farm Service Agency. His last four years at USDA were spent working for then Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA/FFAS) Dr. Mark Keenum.
"As a policy maker, administrator, and statesman for American agriculture, Dr. Keenum embodies a life of service and leadership. Mississippi State is in great hands under his leadership" Hosford said.
At the end of the Bush administration, he was offered a position with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services working with their international marketing staff. He traveled the globe with North Carolina agricultural producers, opening new markets in 29 countries.
"This was an incredible opportunity because I had seen the farming and policy sides of the industry, but then, I was looking squarely at the international market," Hosford said. "I learned how to work with other cultures and how markets and supply chains vary in different countries and regions."
One of the greatest challenges of Hosford's career came during his tenure, when he was appointed by the Trump administration as State Director of USDA's North Carolina Rural Development Agency, where he led a team of 200 professionals and oversaw more than $4 billion in state projects.
"When the pandemic hit, it presented my team with a number of challenges because most of our projects are infrastructure-based," he said. "However, we were able to complete projects in rural communities, such as rural hospitals, fire stations, police headquarters, town halls and schools in 80 out of the 100 counties in the state of North Carolina. I feel like that job brought me full circle because it often took me into rural communities like the one I grew up in."
Today, Hosford serves as Executive Director of the North Carolina Agricultural Finance Authority, where he manages all financial operations for statebased farm loans.
Looking back to his days at MSU, Hosford brings decades of perspective and sound advice for today's students.
"Find opportunities to volunteer through 4-H and FFA, but also seek out an internship over the summer. You're already building your network and your relationships," he said. "Who you know can be just as important as what you know."
Date: 2024-10-11
