Tom Vilsack was selected by President-elect Barack Obama December 17, 2008, to be the 30th secretary of the Department of Agriculture. Vilsack is the former governor of Iowa and previously served as a state senator and mayor. (See “Road to the White House.”) Vilsack’s confirmation hearing took place January 14, before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
The Department of Agriculture, established 1862 (elevated to Cabinet in 1889)
Mission: The United States Department of Agriculture provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science and efficient management.
Duties: The department operates more than 300 programs in farm aid, food safety, nutrition, sustainable development of rural communities, expanding global markets for agricultural and forest products and services and many other tasks.
Staff: More than 100,000 employees
History: The department was established by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 when farmers made up more than half the country’s population. The secretary of agriculture was elevated to the Cabinet in 1889.
International engagement: The Foreign Agricultural Service is responsible for the department’s international activities. Market development, trade agreements and negotiations, collection and analysis of statistics and market information, export credit guarantees and food aid programs are some of the activities that fall into the service’s purview.
Fun fact: According to the statistics released by the department in 2000, the average American drinks 87.4 liters of milk each year.
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