Congress established the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1862 "to acquire and diffuse among the people of the United States useful information on subjects connected with agriculture...and to procure, propagate, and distribute among the people new and valuable seeds and plants."
Beginning with basic research and education to increase agricultural production, USDA has changed with changing times. As improved farming methods led to larger crop yields, USDA expanded its emphasis on marketing farm products and supporting fair prices. New missions were added such as regulating food safety; promoting exports; predicting the weather; regulating marketing systems; protecting the soil, water, and forests; promoting rural economic development; teaching home economics; guaranteeing needed credit to farmers; expanding agricultural markets at home and abroad; and ensuring an adequate diet for all Americans.
Today, USDA has 110,000 employees and a budget of over $65 billion (60 percent of which is for food assistance). This Department touches the lives of most Americans and directly serves the nation's 2 million farmers, 69 million rural residents, and over 25 million children who eat school lunches every day; and it cares for millions of acres in the national forests and grasslands.
United States Department of Agriculture | Departmental Administration
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