Herrick Fox
USDA

Herrick (“Rick”) Fox serves as Bioeconomy Coordinator in USDA's Office of the Chief Economist. He returns to USDA after a five-year sojourn in the hemp industry, during which he co-founded Meristem Farms, a Vermont producer of organic hemp crops and products, and Meristem Institute, a non-profit promoting partnerships to fulfill the promise of hemp as a climate-smart driver of opportunity for all. He also co-chaired the Government Affairs Committee of the National Industrial Hemp Council of America, and the Committee on Policy and Regulations of the Federation of International Hemp Organizations. Before hemp, Rick’s prior tenure in USDA extended for 15 years, most recently in senior management leading a division in agricultural trade capacity-building in the Foreign Agricultural Service. Before that he worked in the US Forest Service, first in land management on National Forests and later in policy with senior USDA officials and the US Senate Committee on Agriculture. In his early career, Rick lived in Siberia and the Russian Far East for 6 years in the 1990’s, working in conservation and forest science. Rick holds a B.S. from U.C. Berkeley and a Master’s in Forest Science from Yale. An avid skier and hiker since early childhood, these days Rick alternates his gravity management practice between the marble and limestone caverns of our nation's capital and in the highlands of northern Vermont with his wife and their three kids. NOTE: Mr. Fox is appearing in his personal capacity and his remarks do not represent the views of USDA or the US Government.

Speaking at:

"Let It Grow:” Right-Sizing the Definition, Testing and Certification of Hemp for All Its Purposes
Global Hemp Trends and Exciting New Growth Opportunities
Farmer Adoption of Hemp in 2023 and Beyond (USDA?)