The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...
. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of
agriculture ministers
An agriculture ministry (also called an agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...
in other governments
The department includes several organizations. The 297,000 mi
2 (770,000 km
2) of national forests and grasslands are managed by the
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 United States National Forest, national forests and 20 United States Natio ...
. The safety of food produced and sold in the United States is ensured by the
United States Food Safety and Inspection Service. The
Food Stamp Program
In the United States, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a Federal government of the United States, federal government program that provides food-purchasing assistance for Poverty ...
works with the states to provide food to low-income people.
Secretary of Agriculture is a
Level I position in the Executive Schedule, thus earning a salary of
US$
The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
221,400, as of January 2021.
Since February 13, 2025, the current secretary is
Brooke Rollins
Brooke Leslie Rollins (born April 10, 1972) is an American attorney and politician who has served as the 33rd United States secretary of agriculture since February 2025.
Rollins previously served as deputy general counsel, ethics advisor, and p ...
.
List of secretaries of agriculture
When the Department of Agriculture was established in 1862, its executive was a non-Cabinet position called the commissioner of agriculture. The commissioners of agriculture were:
The position of secretary of agriculture was created when the department was elevated to Cabinet status in 1889. The following is a list of secretaries of agriculture, since the creation of the office in 1889.
; Parties
(14)
(19)
;Status
Line of succession
The line of succession for the secretary of agriculture is as follows:
#
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
#
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services (this position no longer exists)
#Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Administration
#
#
#
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety
The under secretary for food safety is a subcabinet position within the United States Department of Agriculture responsible for oversight of the policies and programs of the Food Safety and Inspection Service. The under secretary chairs the U.S. Co ...
#
#
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development
#
#General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture
#Chief of Staff, Office of the Secretary
#State Executive Directors of the
Farm Service Agency
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is the United States Department of Agriculture agency that was formed by merging the farm loan portfolio and staff of the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) and the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service ...
(in order of seniority by length of unbroken tenure) for the States of:
#*
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
#*
Iowa
Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
#*
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
#Regional Administrators of the
Food and Nutrition Service
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The FNS is the federal agency responsible for administering the nation’s domestic nutrition assistance programs. The service helps to add ...
(in order of seniority by length of unbroken tenure) for the:
#*Mountain Plains Regional Office (
Denver
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
,
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
)
#*Midwest Regional Office (
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
)
#*Western Regional Office (
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, California)
#Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Agriculture
#Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights
#Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Congressional Relations
References
External links
*
, -
{{Navboxes
, list =
{{USSecAg
{{USDA agencies
{{US Cabinet leaders
{{US presidential line of succession
1889 establishments in the United States
Agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
Agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
Secretary
A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...