USDA's Chief Meteorologist Riding Off Into the Sunset

(re-posted from USDA's internal employee recognition page; original author not listed)

USDA has a Chief Meteorologist, and his name is Mark Brusberg.? Or at least it will be until the end of the year, when he is retiring after nearly 40 years at USDA. Mark and his team are a vital resource for USDA's Office of Homeland Security

As the Chief Meteorologist, Brusberg works out of the World Agricultural Outlook Board – aka the World Board – which is located in USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist.? He oversees a team that includes five other meteorologists. ?

In a nutshell, Brusberg’s main responsibility has been to work across the Department to make sure that 1) USDA gets the weather data and crop information that it needs and 2) USDA products are providing farmers, ranchers and foresters with the weather and climate information they need to make good decisions.?

In the picture above, Mark points to Hurricane Catarina, a rare tropical cyclone that hit Brazil in 2004.?

Brusberg first came to the USDA South Building as an intern in 1984?

Working side by side with professional meteorologists opened his eyes: ?“I was still in school, and I’m looking at maps for Australia and South America, and I’m hearing about how the weather impacts the coffee crop in Brazil – and I’m like, ‘wow, this is really important stuff.’”

Out of school, he first worked for the National Weather Service until he took a job at USDA in 1986 – which gives him a total of 40 years as a government meteorologist.

Brusberg provides South American weather information to the World Board

The data Brusberg collects helps inform the World Board’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates – better known as the WASDE report, a gold standard product that presents a comprehensive overview of the agricultural situation in the United States and around the world.?

And, his knowledge of the weather conditions in Brazil has come in handy.? Once, when economists predicted Brazil would have a good crop, he was able to point to a drought there that had a negative effect on crops, which led to the correct assessment being made.? More recently, he met an analyst from Brazil who was impressed that Brusberg could talk so knowledgeably about his country.

Another thing Brusberg is proud of is that recommendations he made about the Drought Monitor showed up in the draft of the next iteration of the five-year Farm Bill, which is due to be passed soon.

Next chapter?

Brusberg is the grandson of a coal miner.? His mom was a school secretary and his dad was a carpenter.? He was the first member of his family to go to college.? He has been married for 37 years and has two sons.

He and his wife still dress up for Halloween.? This year, he was the Wolfman and his wife was the Bride of Frankenstein. He loves Godzilla, fishing and making things in the woodshop out behind his garage. He also used to work in restaurants, before he came to USDA, and so to this day, he is a good tipper because he appreciates all that goes on behind the scenes.

And what would he like people to remember about civil servants?? “People like to shake their fists at bureaucrats in DC,” he said, but in the end, concluded, “we’re working for you.”

If you want to know more about Brusberg’s work, here are two podcasts to check out:

The Great Grain Robbery, or how weather came to the WASDE

The Drought Monitor