USDA And Its Many Departments

Find the Resource's You Need and the Policies That Affect Your Farming Operation

USDA Home Page:  The USDA has thousands of pages of information online, for the latest agricultural news go to the home page and click on "NEWSROOM". The USDA has done a good job of making their site easy to navigate with links to descriptions of all of their agencies and offices and then a link to their respective websites.

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS): The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service administers programs that facilitate the efficient, fair marketing of U.S. agricultural products, including food, fiber, and specialty crops. AMS has about 5,500 employees who are located throughout the United States.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS):   Welcome to the Agricultural Research Service—one of the world's premier scientific organizations.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS):  APHIS provides leadership in ensuring the health and care of animals and plants. The agency improves agricultural productivity and competitiveness and contributes to the national economy and the public health.

Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP):  The USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) works to improve the health and well-being of Americans by developing and promoting dietary guidance that links scientific research to the nutrition needs of consumers. CNPP is an agency of USDA Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services.

Economic Research Service (ERS):  The Economic Research Service (ERS) provides economic research and information to inform public and private decision making on economic and policy issues related to agriculture, food, natural resources, and rural America.

Farm Service Agency (FSA):   The Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers farm commodity, crop insurance, credit, environmental, conservation, and emergency assistance programs for farmers and ranchers.

Food And Nutrition Service (FNS):  The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the food and nutrition assistance programs in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. FNS provides children and needy families with better access to food and a more healthful diet through its programs and nutrition education efforts.

Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS):  The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged, as required by the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act.

Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS):  The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information about global supply and demand, trade trends, and market opportunities.

Forest Service (FS):  The Forest Service (FS) administers programs for applying sound conservation and utilization practices to natural resources of the national forests and national grasslands, for promoting these practices on all forest lands through cooperation with states and private landowners, and for carrying out extensive forest and range research.

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA):  The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) facilitates the marketing of livestock, poultry, meat, cereals, oilseeds, and related agricultural products, and promotes fair and competitive trading practices for the overall benefit of consumers and American agriculture.

National Agricultural Library (NAL):  The National Agricultural Library (NAL) provides technical information on agricultural research and related subjects to scientists, educators and farmers using computer databases; coordinates and is primary resource for national network of state land grant university and field libraries; and serves as the U.S. center for the international agriculture information system.

National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS):  The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is responsible for conducting monthly and annual surveys and preparing official USDA data and estimates of production, supply, prices, and other information necessary to maintain orderly agricultural operations.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA):  The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), part of the executive branch of the Federal Government. Congress created NIFA through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. NIFA replaced the former Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES).

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS):  The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is the primary federal agency that works with private landowners to help them conserve, maintain and improve their natural resources. The Agency emphasizes voluntary, science-based conservation; technical assistance; partnerships; incentive-based programs; and cooperative problem solving at the community level.

Risk Management Agency (RMA):  The Risk Management Agency (RMA) promotes, supports, and regulates sound risk management solutions to preserve and strengthen the economic stability of America's agricultural producers by providing crop insurance to American producers, developing and the premium rate, administering premium and expense subsidy, approving and supporting products, and reinsuring companies.

Rural Development (RD):  USDA Rural Development is committed to the future of rural communities. Our role is to increase rural residents' economic opportunities and improve their quality of life. Rural Development forges partnerships with rural communities, funding projects that bring housing, community facilities, utilities and other services. We also provide technical assistance and financial backing for rural businesses and cooperatives to create quality jobs in rural areas.