USDA Announces Claims Process for Hispanic and Women Farmers
Today is an historic day for USDA. Working with colleagues at the Department of Justice, we launched a program that provides a path to justice for Hispanic and women farmers who believe they were discriminated against by USDA between 1981 and 2000. Many of these farmers and ranchers have waited and fought to get relief, but until now their only means of getting their complaints heard was to file an individual case in federal court. Today we are providing folks with a simpler path that enables them to file a claim for compensation that will be resolved by a neutral party without the involvement of the courts.
When I was sworn in as Secretary of Agriculture two years ago, President Obama and I made a commitment to mend USDA’s troubled civil rights record. Since then, we have taken comprehensive action to turn the page on past discrimination. Last year we entered into a settlement with black farmers in Pigford II to address pending claims, and finalized a historic settlement agreement with Native American farmers under Keepseagle that faced discrimination by USDA.
With today’s announcement, we are continuing work to build a new era for civil rights at USDA: correcting our past errors, learning from our mistakes, and outlining definitive action to ensure there will be no missteps in the future. The process has been long and often difficult, but my staff and I have been working hard every day to make USDA a model employer and premier service provider that treats every customer and employee fairly, with dignity and respect.
If you are a woman or Hispanic farmer or rancher and feel you were discriminated against by USDA between 1981 and 2000, you must request a claims package to participate in the claims process. To begin this process, you can either call 1-888-508-4429 or visit www.farmerclaims.gov to submit your information online.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack participated in a conference call on Friday, Feb. 25, 2011; in Washington, D.C. with news media to announce and answer questions about an administrative claims process for Hispanic farmers and ranchers and women farmers and ranchers to resolve claims of discrimination in farm loan programs from 1981 – 2000. USDA photo by Lance Cheung
Tags: Civil Rights, Department of Justice, Hispanic farmers, President Obama, Tom Vilsack, Women Farmers
I love that women are getting into farming. My Mothers family were and still are farming in the Dakotas. I also would love a farm, only 20 acres would be fine. If you find a nice one that I can finance with you please let me know. Im proud of you for giving Hispanic people a chance, they can grow anything and work 20hrs. out of24. Thank You.
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has anybody seen a packet yet
ARE WE STILL BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST,Even with the current DISCRIMINATION CASE AGAINST with the USDA?When is ENOUGH,Enough?Can you put the shoe on the other foot?it’s been OVER TEN YEARS and i still can’t Get a FARM,Can’t get reimbursed for the loss of potential income,Why are a lot of the same employees still working for the USDA,even after PROOF of their DISCRIMINATION CASES,in which COSTS ALL AMERICANS BILLIONS of DOLLARS in DAMAGES and WOMEN and HISPANIC LAWSUIT STILL PENDING a FAIR TRIAL.WE NEED “CHANGE”.
My wife requested a claims package via the provided URL soon after it became available. We have not received any response whatsoever. She called the provided phone number last week and was told by a call center rep that a Claims Administrator had not been appointed, and packages would not be mailed until that happened. That cannot be verified since no USDA website, release, bulletin, or other communication makes any such statement. Now I’m on the hunt for the actual reason behind the missing claims package.
I also sought actual reasons for my wife’s difficulties in dealing with our local USDA office over a decade ago. This is no different. Once again the USDA is engaged in a policy of deceit and misinformation. No claims package, no information, no straight answers from the call center, and no possibility of review or remedy as advertised. Pigford and Keepseagle are complete or nearing completion but women and Hispanics are excluded, again. Will there be a second round for this ongoing offense of continued bias and discrimination? Please USDA, stop playing dirty tricks on people. Your claim of providing assistance without bias was false, just as your claim of sending claim packages was false. Oh, I’m quite sure you have some excuse that isn’t technically true, like the one about the missing Claims Administrator. If you had a valid excuse, you would have updated the available information instead of leaving incorrect information from last February. You announced the program then ignored it, as if it doesn’t exist. We shouldn’t be surprised since the USDA sometimes treats people as if they don’t exist.