The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) is an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia that is responsible for promoting the economic growth and development of Virginia's agricultural sector. It also provides environmental protection services and consumer protection programs.
The department is supervised and directed by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The current Commissioner is Joseph W. Guthrie, who was appointed on January 15, 2022. He is Virginia's 18th Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Guthrie is a sixth generation Virginia farmer, who owned and operated a beef cattle and hay farm in Pulaski County on farmland that has been in his family since 1795. Since 2007, he served as a Senior Instructor at Virginia Tech and taught courses in business management, finance, communications, and leadership in the Agricultural Technology Program.
Prior to his appointment, he served the residents of Pulaski County on the Board of Supervisors since 2015, and was elected board chair in 2020 and 2021. He was also elected to a four-year term on the Pulaski County School Board in 2011. Guthrie has served as the president of Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Association, president of Pulaski County Farm Bureau, and president of the Virginia Cattlemen's Association. He was appointed by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to the National Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board and was appointed by former Governor Bob McDonnell to the Virginia Cattle Industry Board. [1] [2] [3]
The department is under the direction and supervision of a Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, who is appointed by the Governor of Virginia. The department is located within the Governor's Secretariat of Agriculture and Forestry, which is under the direction of the Governor's Cabinet Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry.
Edward Thomas Schafer is an American businessman and politician who served as the 30th governor of North Dakota from 1992 to 2000 and as the 29th United States secretary of agriculture from 2008 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. From January to July 2016 he served as interim president of the University of North Dakota.
National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) is an American trade association and lobbying group working for American beef producers.
The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture. It is responsible for providing services and expertise that promote and protect Oklahoma's food supply and natural resources while stimulating economic growth.
Executive Schedule is the system of salaries given to the highest-ranked appointed officials in the executive branch of the U.S. government. The president of the United States appoints individuals to these positions, most with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. They include members of the president's Cabinet, several top-ranking officials of each executive department, the directors of some of the more prominent departmental and independent agencies, and several members of the Executive Office of the President.
Matthew James Lohr is an American politician. On January 15, 2022 Lohr was sworn in by Governor Glenn Youngkin as Virginia's 5th Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. In this role, he will serve in the governor's cabinet and oversee the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and the Virginia Racing Commission. December 3, 2018 he was appointed by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue as the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, he served until January 20, 2021. Lohr served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2006–2010, representing the 26th district in the Shenandoah Valley, made up of the city of Harrisonburg and part of Rockingham County. From May 1, 2010 until December 16, 2013, he served as the 14th Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under Governor Robert F. McDonnell. From December 2013 until June 2017, Lohr worked for Farm Credit of the Virginias as director of the Knowledge Center. In this position he facilitated the sharing of knowledge and resources for the betterment of all farmers.
The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) was established in 1914 to prevent and suppress forest fires and reforest bare lands. Since its inception, the agency has grown and evolved to encompass other protection and management duties:
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is an executive department of the government of Florida.
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is a state governmental agency that is responsible for promotion and protection of agriculture and agribusiness in the state of New Jersey. The department oversees school meal programs, distributes surplus food from federal programs, oversees soil and water resources, maintains farmland for agricultural uses, assists in development of overseas markets for New Jersey products from its farms and fisheries and administers agricultural education programs.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) is a cabinet-level agency in Pennsylvania. The department's purpose is to support a sustainable and safe supply of food and agricultural products; be good stewards of the land and natural resources; promote the viability of farms; protect consumers; and safeguard the health of people, plants, animals and the environment.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is a state agency of Louisiana, headquartered in Baton Rouge. The Department is responsible for promoting, protecting and advancing agriculture and forestry, and soil and water resources.
The Virginia Governor's Cabinet is a body of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the government of Virginia. The Cabinet is responsible for advising the governor of Virginia. Cabinet officers are nominated by the governor and then presented to the Virginia General Assembly for confirmation. Once confirmed, all members of the Cabinet receive the title "Secretary" and serve at the pleasure of the governor.
The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) is an independent agency of the government of Alabama first created by an Act of the State Legislature on February 23, 1883. The Department is responsible for serving farmers and consumers of agricultural products and operates with an annual budget of just under $25 million. The Department has about 300 full-time employees and 250 part-time employees.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) is a state agency of North Carolina headed by the Commissioner of Agriculture. It is headquartered in the Agriculture Building in Raleigh.
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