What
is the Farm Service Agency?
"A
customer-driven agency with a diverse and multi-talented
work force, dedicated to achieving an economically
and environmentally sound future for American Agriculture."
FSA Vision Statement
Download
a PDF Printable Version of our Vision Statement
Poster. (606
kb)
Stabilizing farm income,
helping farmers conserve land and water resources,
providing credit to new or disadvantaged farmers and
ranchers, and helping farm operations recover from
the effects of disaster are the missions of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA).
FSA was set up
when the Department was reorganized in 1994, incorporating
programs from several agencies, including the Agricultural
Stabilization and Conservation Service, the Federal
Crop Insurance Corporation (now a separate Risk
Management Agency), and
the Farmers Home Administration. Though its name has
changed over the years, the Agency's relationship
with farmers goes back to the 1930s.
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
agriculture.
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