Department of Agriculture

• Pages: 105-130

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250

Phone, 202-720-2791. Internet, www.usda.gov.

SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE Ann Veneman

Deputy Secretary James Moseley

Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign J. B. Penn

Agricultural Services

Deputy Under Secretary Thomas Hunt Shipman

Administrator, Farm Service Agency James Little

Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Ellen Terpstra

Service

Administrator, Risk Management Ross J. Davidson, Jr.

Agency

Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Eric M. Bost

Consumer Services

Deputy Under Secretary Suzanne Biermann

Administrator, Food and Nutrition Roberto Salazar

Service

Executive Director, Center for Steve Christensen, Nutrition Policy and Acting

Promotion

Under Secretary for Food Safety Elsa A. Murano

Deputy Under Secretary Merle D. Pierson

Administrator, Food Safety and Margaret O'K. Glavin, Inspection Service Acting

Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Mark E. Rey

Environment

Deputy Under Secretary for Forestry Dave Tenny

Deputy Under Secretary for Mack Gray, Acting

Conservation

Chief, Forest Service Dale Bosworth

Chief, Natural Resources Pearlie S. Reed

Conservation Service

Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Joseph Jen

Economics

Deputy Under Secretary Rodney J. Brown

Administrator, Agricultural Research Floyd Horn

Service

Administrator, Cooperative State Colien Hefferan

Research, Education, and Extension Service

Administrator, Economic Research Susan E. Offutt

Service

Administrator, National Agricultural Ron Bosecker

Statistics Service

Under Secretary for Rural Development (vacancy)

Deputy Under Secretaries Mack Gray, Gilbert Gonzalez, Mike Neruda

Administrator, Rural Business- John Rosso

Cooperative Service

Administrator, Rural Housing Service Arthur A. Garcia

Administrator, Rural Utilities Hilda Gay Legg

Service

Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations Mary Waters

Deputy Assistant Secretary Wanda Worsham

Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory William T. Hawks

Programs

Deputy Assistant Secretary Jim Butler

Administrator, Agricultural A. J. Yates

Marketing Service

Administrator, Animal and Plant Bobby R. Acord

Health Inspection Service

Administrator, Grain Inspection, Donna Reifschneide

Packers, and Stockyards Administration

Assistant Secretary for Administration Lou Gallegos

Deputy Assistant Secretary John Surina, Acting

Chairman, Board of Contract Appeals Edward Houry

Judicial Officer William G. Jenson

Chief Judge, Administrative Law James Hunt

Judges

Director, Office of Civil Rights David Winningham, Acting

Director, Office of Ethics Dave Spradlin, Acting

Director, Office of Human Resources Donna D. Beecher

Management

Director, Office of Operations Priscilla Carey

Director, Office of Outreach Melvin Weil, Acting

Director, Office of Procurement and W. R. Ashworth

Property Management

Director, Office of Small and Jim House

Disadvantaged Business Utilization

Chief Information Officer Ira L. Hobbs, Acting

Deputy Chief Information Officer Ira L. Hobbs

Chief Financial Officer Ted McPherson

Deputy Chief Financial Officer Patricia Healy

General Counsel Nancy S. Bryson

Deputy General Counsel (vacancy)

Inspector General Joyce N. Fleischman, Acting

Deputy Inspector General Joyce N. Fleischman

Director, Office of Communications Kevin Herglotz, Acting

Chief Economist Keith Collins

Deputy Chief Economist Joseph Glauber

Director, Office of Risk Assessment James Schaub, Acting

and Cost-Benefit Analysis

Chairman, World Agricultural Outlook Gerald Bange

Board

Director, Global Change Program Office William Hohenstein

Director, Office of Energy Policy and New Uses Roger Conway

Director, National Appeals Division Nancy L. Smith, Acting

Director, Office of Budget and Program Analysis Stephen B. Dewhurst

Director, Office of the Executive Secretariat Bruce Bundick

Director, Sustainable Development and Small Adela Backiel

Farms

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The Department of Agriculture works to improve and maintain farm income and to develop and expand markets abroad for agricultural products. The Department helps to curb and to cure poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. It works to enhance the environment and to maintain production capacity by helping landowners protect the soil, water, forests, and other natural resources. Rural development, credit, and conservation programs are key resources for carrying out national growth policies. Department research findings directly or indirectly benefit all Americans. The Department, through inspection and grading services, safeguards and ensures standards of quality in the daily food supply.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) was created by act of May 15, 1862

(7 U.S.C. 2201).

In carrying out its work in the program mission areas, USDA relies on the support of departmental administration staff, as well as the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Communications, Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, Office of the Inspector General, and the Office of the General Counsel.

Rural Development

The rural development mission of USDA is to assist rural Americans in using their abilities to improve their quality of life. To accomplish this, USDA works to foster new cooperative relationships among Government, industry, and communities. The mission is carried out by the Rural Housing Service, which includes rural housing and rural community facility loan and grant programs; the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, which includes business and cooperative development programs; and the Rural Utilities Service, which includes telephone, electric, water, and sewer programs. Approximately 850 rural development field offices provide frontline delivery of all rural development loan and grant programs at the local level.

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

The mission of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) is to enhance the quality of life for all rural Americans by providing leadership in building competitive businesses and sustainable cooperatives that can prosper in the global marketplace. To meet business credit needs in under-served areas, RBS business programs are usually leveraged with commercial, cooperative, or other private sector lenders. RBS business programs include:

Business and Industry Direct Loans This program provides loans to public entities and private parties who cannot obtain credit from other sources. Loans to private parties can be made for improving, developing, or financing business and industry, creating jobs, and improving the economic and environmental climate in rural communities, including pollution abatement.

Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans This program helps create jobs and stimulates rural economies by providing financial backing for rural businesses. Loan proceeds may be used for working capital, machinery and equipment, buildings and real estate, and certain types of debt refinancing.

Business Enterprise These grants help public bodies, nonprofit corporations,

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and federally recognized Indian tribal groups finance and facilitate development of small and emerging private business enterprises located in rural areas. Grant funds can pay for the acquisition and development of land and the construction of buildings, plants, equipment, access streets and roads, parking areas, utility and service extensions, refinancing, and fees for professional services, as well as technical assistance and related training, startup costs and working capital, financial assistance to a third party, production of television programs targeted to rural residents, and rural distance learning networks.

Business Opportunities This program promotes sustainable economic development in rural communities with exceptional needs. Funds are provided for technical assistance, training, and planning activities that improve economic conditions. Applicants must be located in rural areas.

Cooperative Development These grants finance the establishment and operation of centers for cooperative development. The primary purpose of this program is to enhance the economic condition of rural areas through the development of new cooperatives and improving operations of existing cooperatives.

Cooperative Opportunities and Problems Research This program encourages research, funded through cooperative agreements, on critical issues vital to the development and sustainability of agricultural and other rural cooperatives as a means of improving the quality of life in America's rural communities.

Cooperative Services This program helps farmers and rural communities become self-reliant through the use of cooperative organizations. Studies are conducted to support cooperatives that market farm products, purchase production supplies, and perform related business services. These studies concentrate on the financial, organizational, legal, social, and economic aspects of cooperative activity. Technical assistance and research is provided to improve cooperative performance in organizing new cooperatives, merging existing cooperatives, changing business structures, and developing strategies for growth. Applied research is conducted to give farmers and rural communities expert assistance pertaining to their cooperatives. The program also collects and publishes statistics regarding the role and scope of cooperative activity in U.S. agriculture. The Service's bimonthly magazine, Rural Cooperatives, reports current developments and research for cooperative management leadership.

Economic Development These loans and grants finance economic development and job creation projects based on sound economic plans in rural areas. Loans and grants are available to any eligible Rural Utilities Service electric or telecommunications borrower to assist in developing rural areas from an economic standpoint, to create new job opportunities, and to help retain existing employment. Loans at zero interest are...