Farm Service Agency
Encyclopedia
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
agency into which were merged several predecessor agencies, including the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS). The ASCS was, as the FSA is now, primarily tasked with the implementation of farm conservation and regulation laws around the country. The Administrator of FSA reports to the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services
The Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services is the third highest-ranking official of the United States Department of Agriculture, after the Secretary and Deputy Secretary. This Under Secretary provides leadership and oversight for the Farm Service Agency, the Risk Management...
. The current administrator is Jonathan Coppess
Jonathan Coppess
Jonathan William Coppess is the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency of the Department of Agriculture, and was appointed on July 9, 2009 by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.-Early Life and Education:...
, who was appointed in 2009. The FSA (ASCS) of each state is led by a politically appointed State Executive Director (SED).
FSA was set up when the department was reorganized in 1994, incorporating programs from several agencies, including the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service
Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service
Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service was an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture. It administered programs concerning farm products and agricultural conservation...
, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation
The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation is a wholly owned Government corporation managed by the Risk Management Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. FCIC manages the Federal crop insurance program which provides U.S...
(now a separate Risk Management Agency
Risk Management Agency
The Risk Management Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture helps producers manage their business risks through effective, market-based risk management solutions. RMA's mission is to promote, support, and regulate sound risk management solutions to preserve and strengthen the economic...
), and the Farmers Home Administration
Farmers Home Administration
In 1946 Farmers Home Administration replaced the Farm Security Administration which superseded the Resettlement Administration. Its mission and programs involved extending credit for agriculture and rural development. Direct and guaranteed credit went to individual farmers, low-income families,...
. Although its name has changed over the years, the agency's relationship with farmers goes back to the 1930s. Earlier USDA agencies that evolved into FSA include the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, War Food Administration, Production and Marketing Administration, and Commodity Stabilization Service as well as ASCS.
At that time, Congress set up a unique system under which federal farm programs are administered locally. Farmers who are eligible to participate in these programs elect a three- to five-person county committee, which reviews county office operations and makes decisions on how to apply the programs. This grassroots approach gives farmers a much-needed say in how federal actions affect their communities and their individual operations. After more than 60 years, it remains a cornerstone of FSA's efforts to preserve and promote American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
agriculture.