Welcome to the Commissioner's Office!
The Minnesota State Dairy Commission, a forerunner for the Department of Agriculture, was created in 1885 for the limited purpose of prohibiting the sale of adulterated milk and the sale of oleomargarine. The Commission began with one department head, one assistant and one clerk who doubled as a chemist. The Commission budget was $6,000.
Today, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture:
- is the primary food safety agency in Minnesota;
- enforces state laws pertaining to the sale, use and disposal of a host of agricultural inputs (fertilizers and pesticides);
- regulates and provides services to protect Minnesota agricultural crops and native plant species;
- assists agricultural producers with resource management and protection;
- works to develop and diversify Minnesota's agricultural industries, markets, and products.
MDA employs 430 people with a budget of nearly $70 million annually and $140 biennially.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Mission Statement:
"Our mission is to enhance Minnesotans' quality of life by ensuring the integrity of our food supply, the health of our environment and the strength of our agricultural economy."
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