Farm Service Agency
county director retires

By Staff
special to The Star
August 1, 2004
QUITMAN A retirement celebration is planned here Wednesday for E. Buford Rochester, who has worked for 35 years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency.
The event is scheduled from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Quitman Depot. Rochester has served as county executive director of the Clarke County FSA office for 31 years. In 1997, Rochester became a shared management CED for Lauderdale County and Clarke County.
After graduating in 1969 from Mississippi State University, Rochester, a native of Jackson, began his tenure for the agency then known as the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service. He transferred from Warren County ASCS to Clarke County ASCS in October 1973 to make Clarke County his home.
He said while he has seen many changes over his career, including the agency's name change, the FSA'S strong relationship with farmers has remained in place since the 1930s.
Stabilizing farm income, helping farmers conserve land and water resources, providing credit to new or disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and helping farm operations recover from the effects of disaster are the missions of the FSA.
Community service has been a big part of his career. He has been serving on the Harmony Water Association Board of Directors for 21 years, 20 of which as president of the association. He has served in the Mississippi Air National Guard, 172nd Airlift Wing in Jackson, for 36 years.
Rochester is married to the former Pamela Rogers, and they have one son, Stephen.
Past and present customers of FSA, friends and family are invited to attend the retirement celebration.