Agriscience education professor bringing rural residents’ voices to Washington, D.C.

Chantel Simpson, Ph.D.

Growing up on a farm in Rockingham County, Chantel Simpson, Ph.D., had no intention of staying in agriculture.

Farming meant hard work and having multiple jobs to pay the bills. Her parents and grandparents counseled her to grow up and leave home, but hold onto the family’s land.

Today, Simpson is a fourth-generation farmer and a College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences professor. Now, she has the ear of the leader of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Simpson was appointed in November to the EPA’s Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee, which provides the agency with advice and recommendations on environmental issues that affect agriculture and rural communities. Simpson, an assistant professor of agriscience education at North Carolina A&T State University, was one of 20 new and returning members selected from more than 85 applicants.

Simpson said the committee is the “perfect marriage” of her professional experience and personal background.

“I’m passionate about rural America because it’s where I’m from,” Simpson said. “I’m passionate about small farmers and minority groups in rural America because we often get overlooked. And I’m passionate about highlighting the importance of agriculture in our society today.”

Simpson earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from A&T and her doctorate in agricultural, leadership and community education from Virginia Tech. Simpson joined CAES as a full-time faculty member in 2019.

Before college, there was the farm. Her great-grandparents grew tobacco on 22 acres that straddle the Rockingham and Caswell county line. In the 1990s, her parents and grandparents switched to raising Black Angus cattle. The family was tight: Her great-grandparents lived across the street, and her grandparents were next door. She and her sister now run the farm.

For Simpson, the concerns of farmers, ranchers and rural Americans are as familiar to her as her family’s land.

“Sometimes I think there are laws and policies made that are good in theory but policymakers don’t always understand how they impact the small people on the ground,” Simpson said. “Given my education and experience and knowing the language to be able to speak on behalf of those farmers who may not make it to Capitol Hill, I want to make sure I bring their voices to the table.”

Simpson will serve a three-year term. The FRRCC meets twice annually, usually in Washington, D.C. She applied for the role after getting an email at work earlier this year alerting her that the committee was seeking new members.

As an FRRCC committee member, Simpson will be advising EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, a 1998 CAES graduate. Regan recently gave the FRRCC a new charge: to evaluate EPA policies and programs regarding climate change so the agency can better help farmers and ranchers reduce emissions and build a more resilient food and agriculture system.

Simpson calls climate change “a big issue” because it affects land and water use, crop and animal production and the price of everything from animal feed to crop insurance.

“Our climate is not as dependable,” Simpson said. “Our winters are not as cold. Our summers are hotter and drier. A number of precipitating issues arise based on how the climate has changed.”

Simpson said that by continuing to farm, she is honoring her great-grandfather. Her work at A&T and on the FRRCC also honors her family and community.

“To be able to apply my knowledge and experience on a national level, that was perfect for me,” Simpson said. “With everything I do, I want to be able to give back to my community to make an impact. It’s more than just about me.”