U.S. Department of Agriculture

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Department of Agriculture
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Secretary:Brooke Rollins
Year created:1862
Official website:USDA.gov



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Executive Departments of the United States

Executive Departments
Department of StateDepartment of the TreasuryDepartment of DefenseDepartment of JusticeDepartment of the InteriorDepartment of AgricultureDepartment of CommerceDepartment of LaborDepartment of Health and Human ServicesDepartment of Housing and Urban DevelopmentDepartment of TransportationDepartment of EnergyDepartment of EducationDepartment of Veterans AffairsDepartment of Homeland Security

Department Secretaries
Marco RubioScott BessentPete HegsethPam BondiDoug BurgumBrooke Rollins • Vincent Micone (acting) • Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Scott Turner • Jeremy Pelter (acting) • Sean DuffyChris Wright • Denise Carter (acting) • Doug CollinsKristi Noem

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a United States executive department established in 1862 in order to "provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management."[1]

Brooke Rollins is the current secretary of agriculture. Click here to learn more about her confirmation process.

History

The following list includes important dates in the department's history:[2]

  • 1820: United States House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture formed
  • 1825: United States Senate Committee on Agriculture formed
  • 1862: U.S. Department of Agriculture formed
  • 1862: Homestead Act passed, providing land to willing farmers
  • 1862: Morrill Land Grant College Act passed, allowing for land grant colleges
  • 1890: Second Morrill Act passed, establishing black land grant colleges
  • 1890: Federal Meat Inspection Act passed
  • 1906: Food and Drug Act passed
  • 1932-1936: Drought leads to Dust Bowl
  • 1933: Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) established controls on agricultural markets
  • 1936: Rural Electrification Act passed, providing electricity to rural areas
  • 1946: National School Lunch Act passed
  • 1964: Food Stamp Act passed as start to War on Poverty

Mission

The Department of Agriculture website states:

"We provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management."[3]
—USDA[1]

Leadership

Recent Secretaries of Agriculture
Secretary of Agriculture Years in office Nominated by
Daniel R. Glickman 1995-2001 Bill Clinton
Ann M. Veneman 2001-2005 George W. Bush
Michael O. Johanns 2005-2007 George W. Bush
Edward T. Schafer 2008-2009 George W. Bush
Tom Vilsack 2009-2017 Barack Obama
Sonny Perdue 2017-2021 Donald Trump
Tom Vilsack 2021-2025 Joe Biden
Gary Washington (acting) 2025-2025 Donald Trump
Brooke Rollins 2025-present Donald Trump

Organization

Click here to view the USDA organization chart.

Responsibilities

Administrative State
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Read more about the administrative state on Ballotpedia.

USDA is responsible for researching, developing, and executing federal laws and policies related to food, farming, forestry, and rural development. USDA has eight mission areas: Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC), Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, Food Safety, Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP), Natural Resources and Environment, Research, Education, and Economics, Rural Development, and Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs (TFAA). Through these mission areas, USDA aims to develop and execute programs to distribute food and nutrition information across the United States.[4] [5]

Role of USDA in work requirements for SNAP benefits

See also: Areas of inquiry and disagreement related to work requirements for public assistance programs

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has two sets of work requirements that are required by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. Persons between the ages of 16 and 59 years old who are able to work must meet general work requirements to receive SNAP benefits. Work requirements may include registering for work; participating in SNAP employment and training or what USDA refers to as workfare programs (private or public nonprofit agency work as a condition of eligibility) if required by a state SNAP agency; and taking a suitable job if it is offered. Individuals required to work for SNAP benefits will lose benefits if they voluntarily quit their jobs or reduce their work hours below 30 hours a week without a good reason. If beneficiaries do not meet the general work requirements, they are disqualified from receiving SNAP benefits for at least a month and must start meeting requirements to receive SNAP benefits again.[6] [7]

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms United States Department of Agriculture. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

External links

Footnotes