Department of Agriculture

What is the United States Department of Agriculture?


The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a governmental department that focuses primarily on commercial resources – such as farms – that are responsible for the natural growth, production, harvesting, and cultivation of agrarian food source(s).

Founded by Abraham Lincoln as a means to educate, protect, and substantiate the farming industry, the United States Department of Agriculture has since expanded its jurisdiction to include food safety, the protection of natural resources, and an overarching creation of a structured food production model. Currently, the United States Department of Agriculture employs upwards of 100,000 people and boasts over 7,000 individual locations throughout the United States


What is Food Safety?


Food Safety is a parameter that has been established by the United States Department of Agriculture that is comprised of general health guidelines to which farms – and other producers of natural food sources – must adhere. The United States Department of Agriculture institutes a regimen of inspection in which meat, poultry, vegetables, fruits, eggs, and dairy products are monitored in order to ensure healthful consumption on the part of the citizens of the United States; typically, these nature of products will be given a branding that reads ‘USDA Approved’ that alerts consumers that the products that are purchasing have been deemed safe for consumption.


The United States Department of Agriculturehas developed a ‘Food Pyramid’ with which they suggest the recommended amount – and types – of food to be consumed to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle


What is the Department of Agriculture?


The Department of Agriculture, in the United States, is a Federal agency that operates within the United States of America’s executive department. The Department of Agriculture is responsible for developing and executing various federal policy regarding agriculture, farming and the production of food.

The Department of Agriculture aims to satisfy the needs of ranchers and farmers, to promote agricultural trade and production and to supply resources to assure that protocol revolving around agricultural production is safe. In addition, the Department of Agriculture is responsible for protecting natural resources and fostering rural communities in the United States. In general, the primary objective of the Department of Agriculture is end hunger in the United States and abroad.


Department of Agriculture Quick Facts:


The following details outline the administration of the Department of Agriculture:


The Department of Agriculture was founded on May 15, 1862


The headquarters of the Department of Agriculture are located on 1301 Independence Avenue in the South Western District of Washington D.C.


The Department of Agriculture is responsible for the jurisdiction over the Federal Government of the United States


The head of the Department of Agriculture is Tom Vilsack


History of the Department of Agriculture:


The Department of Agriculture was established by President Abraham Lincoln on May 15, 1862. Lincoln, who originally referred to the Department of Agriculture as the “people’s department” supplied the agency with a Commissioner without Cabinet Status. Over the years, the department of agriculture has transformed through the passing of legislation and the re-structuring initiated by various Presidents of the United States.

In modern times, many of the programs, once delivered by the Department of Agriculture, predominantly those responsibilities concerned with the distribution of food and nutrition to the people of the United States, is run and operated under the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. In addition, the USDA also concerns itself with assisting farmers and food producers with the sale of crops and food, both in a domestic and international sense.


Government Agency of the Executive Branch


Government agencies are defined as organizations, councils, and offices operating under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government of the United States of America; each federal agency retains specific administrative jurisdiction over specific facets latent within the operations of the United States Government.

The Department of Agriculture functions as a government agency under the Executive Branch of the United States government, which is comprised of 3 total branches; in addition to the Executive branch – which is responsible for the regulation and enforcement of operational legislation existing within the United States of America – there also exists the Legislative and Judicial Branches.