Mission:

The Beltsville Area consists of ARS programs at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, MD; the US National Arboretum in Washington D.C.; and worksites in Chatsworth, NJ; Presque Isle, ME; and McMinnville, TN. BARC is the largest and most diversified agricultural research complex in the world.

Beltsville's record of accomplishments and ongoing programs has made it a world leader in agriculture research. It's international reputation attracts thousands of visitors each year from the United States and abroad.

• Ensure high-quality safe food and other agricultural products
• Assess the nutritional needs of Americans
• Sustain a competitive agricultural economy
• Enhance the natural resource base and the environment
• Provide economic opportunities for rural citizens, communities, and society as a whole

Research in the Beltsville Area addresses all of these goals through programs in the Plant Sciences Institute, the Animal and Natural Resources Institute, the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, and the US National Arboretum.