FBN hires Ken Barbic as Head of Policy and Global Government Relations

FBN^® - Farmers Business Network, the farmer-to-farmer network of more than 25,000 farmers who farm more than 70 million acres globally, announced it has hired agriculture policy veteran Ken Barbic as Head of Policy and Global Government Relations.

Barbic, based in Washington, D.C., will work to ensure the priorities of FBN and its thousands of U.S. members are included in ag policy discussions and to share farmers’ perspectives and FBN’s unique insights on farming and farm profitability to help inform those discussions.

"Our mission has always been about increasing competition and providing growers with as many options as possible to help drive the profit potential of family farms," said Amol Deshpande, CEO and Co-Founder of Farmers Business Network. "FBN has always brought the best commercial solutions to market and with Ken’s appointment, we’ll now create direct lines of communication between FBN and its network and policymakers to share our insights into the challenges farmers face, as well as our data-driven solutions to confront those challenges."

Barbic previously served as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Congressional Relations at USDA. In that Senate-confirmed role, Barbic served as the Department's chief liaison with Members of Congress and their staffs. In this role, he led USDA efforts with Congress on a number of critical issues facing agriculture including the Farm Bill, food supply chain issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, biofuel policy, and the passage of the USMCA.

"FBN has long served as a key ally for farmers by providing transparent information, unique data, and leading-edge technology solutions to help increase profitability on family farms,” said Barbic. “I look forward to amplifying the voice of FBN members on a broad range of issues that impact the success of farmers who are taking risks every day to feed, fuel, and clothe a growing population in the face of growing uncertainty.”

Farming has been an important part of Barbic's life, having been raised in Bakersfield, California, as part of a farming family. His previous experience includes serving as senior director for the Irvine, California-based Western Growers Association, where he worked for nearly a decade to advance the competitiveness of American produce farmers. He also served as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Congressional Affairs and as a legislative assistant with the House Committee on Ways and Means.