Guler takes the reins at the FSA

There's a new face at the Farm Service Agency (FSA) located in downtown New Rockford. Evan Guler, a 2009 graduate from New Rockford-Sheyenne, is now serving as the County Executive Director for Eddy and Foster counties.

The path which led Guler away from his hometown and then back again relied heavily upon respect and understanding for agriculture. He earned his degree in agricultural economics from NDSU and then went to work at Cargill in West Fargo. When an opportunity arose with the FSA, Guler jumped at the opportunity, even if it meant a long commute from Fargo to Valley City or Sargeant, N.D.

Guler spent the next five years waiting for a position to open that would afford his family the small-town life they were looking for. When the position opened for Eddy-Foster county, Guler knew he was destined for that position. Not only would returning home mean settling in the perfect place to raise a family, but the position as a County Executive Director was also once held by Guler's grandfather.

It was in April that Guler and his wife Brianna made New Rockford their home- and just in time. Earlier this month the two welcomed their first son, Myles. Brianna is from the Twin Cities and works remotely through a Fargo-based company. In addition to being new parents, Guler and his wife are looking forward to living in a small town and becoming part of the community.

The familiar settings of home have also been good for Guler as he has been working to get to know the farmers in the area. These farmers not only comprise the clientele that the FSA office serves, but they also remain valuable when it comes to decision making. The FSA is one of the last remaining agencies under the United States Department of Agriculture that implements a county committee of stakeholders. For this office, there are three farmers from both Foster and Eddy counties who help with checks and balances as well as support adverse decisions.

Guler also has on-the-job support as program technicians handle the leg work and record-keeping when it comes to client applications for assistance. The FSA offers a variety of assistive programs to help farmers such as disaster programs, price support commodity loans, and most recently, the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program which provides direct relief to America's farmers and ranchers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. To be eligible for payments, a person or legal entity must either have an average adjusted gross income of less than $900,000 for tax years 2016, 2017 and 2018; or derive at least 75% of their adjusted gross income from farming, ranching or forestry-related activities.

For more information about this and other programs contact the FSA office at (701) 947-2427 ext 2.