Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Based in St. Paul, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's mission is to work toward a diverse agricultural industry that is profitable as well as environmentally sound; to protect public health and safety with regard to food and agricultural products; and to ensure orderly commerce in agricultural food products. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has existed in one form or another for more than 100 years. During that time, the state has changed from a mostly rural society with an economy based on agriculture and mining to a multifaceted state dominated by a world-class metropolitan area. As the state has changed, so has our department.

Their three general areas of responsibility include:

• Protecting our food supply;
• Protecting our natural resources; and
• Cultivating our agricultural economy.

MDA services start before the crop even goes into the ground. They help ensure that farmers have quality seed, fertilizer, pesticides and animal feed so that the final product is also high quality. The MDA also provides a long list of services targeted directly to Minnesota farmers. These services include risk-management education, organic and sustainable ag technical support and dairy and livestock development support.

They continue their service after the plants and animals leave the farm. In the processing and distribution segments of the food chain, they perform duties such as dairy and food processing facility inspections and international market development. Their service delivery concludes at the consumer level with services such as consumer food safety education, ag chemical spill response, and grocery store inspections.

Their 450 employees strive to meet these obligations effectively and efficiently, all the while maintaining a special working relationship with stakeholders. As they move deeper into the 21st century, their intent is to continue looking for opportunities to help the state's agricultural sector adapt and thrive in the global marketplace. Meanwhile, they will continue to provide a consistently high level of service and protection to all those who grow, process and consume Minnesota-grown foods.

http://www.mda.state.mn.us/