Deerfield native to lead regional agricultural group

Deerfield native Ashley Randle, pictured in 2023, has been named president of the Northeastern Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

Deerfield native Ashley Randle, pictured in 2023, has been named president of the Northeastern Association of State Departments of Agriculture. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES

By CHRIS LARABEE

Staff Writer

Published: 06-24-2025 12:37 PM

BOSTON — A Franklin County native has been named president of the Northeastern Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Commissioner Ashley Randle, a Deerfield native and the first woman to lead MDAR, was elected as president of the regional association at its annual meeting last week. The Northeastern Association of State Departments of Agriculture brings together state commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture from 10 states stretching from Maine to Delaware to help shape national agricultural policy, promote interstate collaboration and strengthen partnerships.

Randle will lead the association’s next regional meeting in Amherst in June 2026. The multi-day event will spotlight and promote Massachusetts’ agricultural businesses and operations to the delegates.

“Having the privilege to serve as president of NEASDA, as well as host the regional meeting in 2026, is a tremendous honor and opportunity to foster further collaboration among the states,” Randle wrote in an email. “With the opportunity to help shape policy priorities, identify areas of shared importance, and navigate regional and federal challenges together, I am excited to lead the organization forward in the upcoming year.”

Northeastern Association of State Departments of Agriculture CEO Ted McKinney said in a statement that Randle’s deep experience — which includes several years of working with NEASDA during her time at MDAR — will be a great advantage to her tenure as president.

“Commissioner Randle’s election as NEASDA president is a well-deserved recognition of her outstanding leadership and deep commitment to agricultural advancement,” McKinney said. “Her extensive experience, strategic policy insight and collaborative leadership style uniquely position her to navigate the region’s pressing challenges and future opportunities. We are excited to see her positive impact on agriculture across the Northeast.”

Alongside her peers, Randle said the key areas she’d like to target with NEASDA range far and wide. Priorities include youth/workforce development, climate change mitigation, farmland protection, and increased technical assistance and support for farms in light of staffing reductions at the federal level.

The annual NEASDA regional meeting brings together member states and other stakeholders to discuss topics including labor, trade, food safety and food security. Participants also take tours of local agricultural businesses to get a firsthand look at the region’s vibrant farming and food production landscape.

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“I plan to elevate the importance of Northeast agriculture on the regional and national level as part of a robust and sustainable food system. Our crops are as diverse as our people, and that is just one of the main strengths of our Northeast agricultural economy,” Randle said. “Through the three meetings held throughout the year, as well as regular meetings with the NEASDA policy team, I plan to work collaboratively with my colleagues to identify the most pressing challenges facing the region, and work together to develop policies and programs that help support farmers, businesses and food system members.”

In addition to her new role as NEASDA president, Randle was also reelected to serve a second one-year term as board secretary/treasurer of Food Export-Northeast, a nonprofit that was founded in 1973 to assist the 10 northeastern state agricultural promotion agencies and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.