Department of Agriculture

• Pages: 107-132

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Fourteenth Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250

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

SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE Dan Glickman

Deputy Secretary Richard Rominger

Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign August Schumacher

Agricultural Services

Deputy Under Secretaries Thomas L. Grau, James Schroeder

Administrator, Farm Service Agency Keith Kelly

Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Tim Galvin

Service

Administrator, Risk Management Ken Ackerman

Agency

Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Shirley Watkins

Consumer Services

Deputy Under Secretary Julie Paradis

Administrator, Food and Nutrition Samuel Chambers, Jr.

Service

Executive Director, Center for Rajen S. Anand

Nutrition Policy and Promotion

Under Secretary for Food Safety Catherine Woteki

Administrator, Food Safety and Thomas Billy

Inspection Service

Under Secretary for Natural Resources and James Lyons

Environment

Deputy Under Secretary for Forestry Anne Keys Kennedy

Deputy Under Secretary for Glenda Humiston

Conservation

Chief, Forest Service Mike Dombeck

Chief, Natural Resources Pearlie S. Reed

Conservation Service

Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Miley Gonzalez

Economics

Deputy Under Secretary Eileen Kennedy

Administrator, Agricultural Research Floyd Horn

Service

Administrator, Cooperative State Charles Laughlin

Research, Education, and Extension Service

Administrator, Economic Research Susan E. Offutt

Service

Administrator, National Agricultural Ron Bosecker

Statistics Service

Under Secretary for Rural Development Jill Long-Thompson

Deputy Under Secretaries Arthur C. Campbell, Inga Smulkstys

Administrator, Rural Business- Dayton Watkins

Cooperative Service

Administrator, Rural Housing Service Eileen Fitzgerald, Acting

Administrator, Rural Utilities Chris McLean, Acting

Service

Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations Andrew Fish

Deputy Assistant Secretary Jay Johnson, Acting

Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Michael V. Dunn

Programs

Deputy Under Secretary Enrique Figueroa

Administrator, Agricultural Kathleen Merrigan

Marketing Service

Administrator, Animal and Plant Craig A. Reed

Health Inspection Service

Administrator, Grain Inspection, James R. Baker

Packers, and Stockyards Administration

Assistant Secretary for Administration Paul Feddick

Deputy Assistant Secretary Debbie Matz

Chairman, Board of Contract Appeals Edward Houry

Judicial Officer William G. Jenson

Chief Judge, Administrative Law Edward Bernstein

Judges

Director, Office of Civil Rights Rosalind Gray

Director, Office of Ethics John Surina

Director, Office of Human Resources Donna D. Beecher

Management

Director, Office of Operations Priscilla Carey

Director, Office of Outreach Sharron Harris, Acting

Director, Office of Procurement, W.R. Ashworth

Property, and Emergency Preparedness

Director, Office of Small and Sharron Harris

Disadvantaged Business Utilization

Chief Information Officer Joseph Leo

Deputy Chief Information Officer Ira L. Hobbs

Chief Financial Officer Sally Thompson

Deputy Chief Financial Officer Patricia Healy

General Counsel Charles Rawls

Deputy General Counsel Frank Stenger-Castro

Inspector General Roger C. Viadero

Deputy Inspector General Joyce N. Fleischman

Director, Office of Communications Sedelta Verble

Chief Economist Keith Collins

Director, Office of Risk Assessment Alwynelle S. Ahl

and Cost-Benefit Analysis

Chairman, World Agricultural Outlook Gerald Bange

Board

Director, Global Change Program Office Margot Anderson

Director, Office of Energy Policy and New Uses Roger Conway

Director, National Appeals Division Norman Cooper

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

Director, Office of the Executive Secretariat Lynne Finnerty

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 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, 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 made primarily to finance business startup ventures and business expansion projects. Grants are made to eligible telephone...