Who oversees the U.S. Department of Agriculture?
The United States Department of Agriculture (informally the Agriculture Department or USDA) is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food. It aims to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, promote agricultural trade and production, work to assure food safety, protect natural resources, foster rural communities and end hunger in the United States and abroad. The head of the department is the Secretary of Agriculture, who is a member of the Cabinet. The current Secretary is Tom Vilsack. Sources: http://en.wikipedia.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is let by Tom Vilsack. Mr. Vilsack was appointed Secretary of Agriculture by President Obama and was sworn in on January 21, 2009. Before coming to the Department of Agriculture, Mr. Vilsack served two terms as Governor of Iowa. Prior to that he served as a state senator and as mayor of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Mr. Vilsack earned his bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and his law degree from Albany Law School. He practiced law before turning to public service. The Deputy Secretary of Agriculture is Kathleen Merrigan. Before being confirmed for this position, she was Assistant Professor and Director of the Agriculture, Food and Environment Program at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston. Sources: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa Governor, oversees the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Sources: DesMoinesRegister.
