Sowing the Seeds for a New Millennium. Annual Report of the Secretary ofAgriculture, FY 1999

摘要

As we approach a new century, we can't talk about 1999 without also looking atthe evolution of the Department of Agriculture throughout the 20th century. One hundred years ago, we lived up to our nickname, 'The People's Department,' through our service to the half of the population that lived and worked on farms. Today, with less than 2 percent of the people working the land, our mission has evolved to include not only production agriculture, but a host of other programs and functions that make USDA today as much 'The People's Department' as we've ever been--even more so. From food safety to conservation, to managing our forests, to administering the Nation's feeding programs, to research on everything from nutrition to pollution, to looking out for the good of rural America, to, of course, production agriculture, the work we do touches the lives of every American.