Farm and Foodstuff: Opt for an ag secretary with practical experience, know-how, and boldness | Agriculture

In fact, that human being — described, in portion, by the titles of the 8 underneath secretaries and 11 specialist “offices” within just the U.S. Office of Agriculture (USDA) — does not exist.

Even now, USDA manager is a plum occupation with exceptional fork out ($210,700 in 2019), clinical rewards, a described pension, and sweet benefits like an business on the Nationwide Shopping mall, invites to White Home functions, and 1st-class travel to, well, wherever.

But running USDA is not all point out fairs and Farm Bureau conventions. It’s a complicated task to deal with 33 businesses, 4,300 places of work, and additional than 100,000 personnel though working with every little thing from soup to nuts.

Emphasizing soup and nuts is not accidental due to the fact the most important method location within just USDA doesn’t offer with farms, ranches, or forests. Instead, it’s diet support — by much.

How much? Intergalacticly significantly.

In accordance to its “FY 2021 Price range Summary” (if just about anything 112 pages can be termed a summary), USDA will spend $98.9 billion of its $151 billion spending plan — 65% — on its a few biggest food items aid courses, the Supplemental Nourishment Aid Program (SNAP), the National School Lunch Software, and the Ladies, Infants, and Small children software, or WIC.