Stephanie Mercier

Stephanie Mercier is the Senior Policy and Advocacy Adviser for the Farm Journal Foundation. From 1997-2011, she served as the Chief Economist for the Democratic staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Latest Stories
HBCU’s have been around since the 1830’s, and many such institutions have played an important role in fostering agriculture within the African-American community since the 1880’s.
Since first introduced in the mid -1990’s, the availability of GMO crops have made it easier for farmers to adopt new practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or keep their crops productive despite climate change.
We look at the implications of the current drought and water shortage on agriculture in three states in the U.S. Southwest, for now and in the future.
This blog salutes the accomplishment of two USDA conservation professionals, Alex Barbarika and Mike Linsenbigler, who passed away unexpectedly earlier this year.
Despite facing rationed access to inputs such as gasoline, tires, and tractors, and loss of farmworkers to the war effort, American farmers were able to increase their output sharply during the course of World War II.
This piece provides historical background for the importance of seed banks, which help provide crop scientists with access to diverse germplasms to adapt crops to changing conditions.
Smallholder Indian farmers are protesting new laws deregulating agricultural markets in their country, fearing they will lose the price supports they are accustomed to.