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About United States Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
Amongst many other federal agencies, one of the most important agencies that work toward the development of rural areas is the United States Department of Agriculture.
Many people may know what USDA is but may be unaware of its key responsibilities and significance.
In this post, we will understand all about the United States Department of Agriculture in detail.
What Is The USDA?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive agency that looks after agricultural policy, food safety, natural resource management, federal nutrition programs, and economic growth in rural areas. The department operates out of its office located at Jamie L.
The Whitten Building is in Washington, DC, but his work often covers rural areas across the country.
The department is headed by the US secretary of agriculture, a cabinet member appointed by the president and approved by a majority vote in the Senate.
What Is The History Of USDA?
The United States Department of Agriculture was established in the spring of 1862 during President Abraham Lincoln’s administration.
- Origin: Originally, the department was not a government agency. It was first led by Isaac Newton, an agriculturist from New Jersey. President Grover Cleveland hoisted the department to the cabinet-level in 1889.
- Forestry: In the 1880s, the US Department of Agriculture added forestry to its profile. Currently, the United States Forest Service (USFS) operates under the US Department of Agriculture.
- Rural Responsibility: The country had financial difficulty during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl in the 1930s. The department played an important role in supporting rural areas that depended on agriculture as a way of living. A food stamp program for low-income Americans was also established in the 1930s. Currently, this program is managed by the United States Department of Agriculture.
- Mortgage Loans and Home Ownership: During the 1940s, the department began providing secured loans to homebuyers in rural areas as part of its mission to stimulate economic development. The department continues its duties and supports home ownership in rural areas through its Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Programs, also known as the Rural Housing Service (RHS).
What Does The USDA Do?
The department is comprised of 29 agencies and offices containing significant resources, such as the Centre for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, the Forest Service, and the National Library of Agriculture.
Some important services provided by the department are water and other natural resources for land owners; disaster relief for farmers, protection of land, agricultural research and statistics, forest fire prevention; livestock households and villagers; broadband access in rural areas, etc.
The department is also responsible for several social assistance programs, including the food stamp program (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP); nutrition education; food assistance for women, infants, and children (WIC); and school meal nutrition.
The department also plays an important role in keeping U.S. farmers and ranchers in business and ensuring that the domestic supply of egg, poultry, and meat products is safe, healthy, and appropriately labeled.
It also helps to maintain and ensure the health and care of plants and animals, as well as the health of agricultural lands.
The department is headed by the Secretary of Agriculture. The second in command is the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, who oversees the daily operations and budget of the department.
There are multiple secretaries under the Deputy Secretary that oversee rural development, food safety, and other departments, which employ about 100,000 employees that work at more than 4,500 locations nationally and internationally.
Conclusion
One of the most important responsibilities of the USDA includes rural housing and development.
The department provides financial assistance to purchase and refinance rural homes through the USDA Department of Rural Development.
It offers direct loans to very low-income borrowers looking to buy a home in a rural area, secured loans to middle-income homebuyers, and loans and grants to improve and repair rural houses.
