DAVIDSONVILLE, MD - Maryland Farm Bureau applauds the appointment of five distinguished leaders to the Maryland USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Committee. We are especially proud that four of the five appointees are Maryland Farm Bureau members, a reflection of our members' deep commitment to serving the local agricultural community.

In particular, we congratulate former Maryland Farm Bureau President Patricia Langenfelder on her appointment as Committee Chair. Her expertise in farming and her previous leadership at the state level make her uniquely qualified to guide the FSA’s mission in Maryland.

For your reference, the full USDA announcement is included below:

USDA Names Trump Administration Appointees to the Maryland Farm Service Agency State Committee

Annapolis, Md. – Jan. 14, 2026 - The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced the appointment of five leaders in agriculture to serve on the Maryland USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) state committee.  

Members of the FSA state committee are appointed by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and, in support of the Trump Administration’s Farmers First commitment, members of the FSA state committee are responsible for the oversight of farm programs and county committee operations, resolving program delivery appeals from the agriculture community, maintaining cooperative relations with industry stakeholders and keeping producers informed about current FSA programs.  

Each FSA state committee is comprised of three to five members including a designated chairperson. The individuals appointed to serve on this committee for Maryland are:

Patricia Anne Langenfelder, Chair (Kennedyville) - Langenfelder is a partner in a multi-generation grain and livestock operation that includes swine, corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, lima beans, and peas. She manages financial and farm records.  

Charles B. (Chip) Bowling, Jr., Member (Newberg) – Bowling is a third-generation farmer who produces corn, soybeans, sorghum, and wheat. He is a former tobacco farmer and livestock producer.

Steven Frederick Ernst, Member (Clear Spring) – Ernst is a sixth‑generation grain and livestock farmer. He uses no‑till regenerative practices and produces and markets branded feeds nationwide. He started growing crops and raising hogs in 1979. He continues the multi‑generational family operation with his wife and three of their four sons.

Robert Baubac Hajir, Member (Princess Anne) – Hajir is chief executive officer of a vertically integrated poultry company. He oversees two company‑owned farms, partnerships with more than 100 independent growers, and a processing facility that handles over 10,000 live birds per day.  

Stephen W. Isaacson, Member (Cecilton) – Isaacson owns and operates a farm that produces corn, soybeans, wheat, hay, straw, and Angus cattle. He has been a dairy nutrition consultant responsible for assisting dairy and beef producers with nutritional strategies for more than 30 years.  

“These individuals, selected by Secretary Rollins in partnership with key stakeholders in each state, are held in high regard in the agriculture industry and are entrusted to ensure FSA programs are delivered in a manner consistent with federal farm policy and in the best interest of all agricultural producers in their state,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “Their appointment to the FSA state committee is a testament to their standing in the industry and their dedication to the agriculture industry, rural America and President Trump’s America First, Farmers First policies.”

FSA helps America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners invest in, improve, protect and expand their agricultural operations through the delivery of agricultural programs for all Americans. FSA implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster recovery and marketing programs through a national network of state and county offices and locally elected county committees. For more information, visit  fsa.usda.gov.