Department of Agriculture [USDA] spends millions to get Americans to eat more dairy products

Charlotte Observer/NYT ^ | 07 November 2010 | Michael Moss

[Balding_Eagle]

This was directly paid for by the dairy farmers, under a checkoff program.

is largely financed by a government-mandated fee on the dairy industry.

[Balding_Eagle]

See post #21.

[Balding_Eagle]

See post #21.

Remember the “Other White Meat” campaign? Funded by the pork producers, not the USDA.

[snowsislander]

Cut out the pork ... and the cheese.

I believe that Brillat-Savin was correct: Un dessert sans fromage est une belle à qui il manque un oeil (A dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye.)

[snowsislander]

Well, let's try that again:

Cut out the pork ... and the cheese.

I believe that Brillat-Savarin was correct: Un repas sans fromage est une belle à qui il manque un oeil.

[Gondring]

The USDA should be disbanded at the Federal level and replaced with simple agricultural quality "standards" the 50 States all agree to maintain and enforce at the state level.

Savings: $20.8Bn

I'm curious about your number of $20.8Bn. I hadn't realized anyone had done the comparison.

A few things many people don't realize...

• Although the "budget" number for the USDA was, using 2009 as an example, $109.3 billion, the actual Congressional appropriation they had was $170.5 billion.
  (Source: FY2009 Performance and Accountability Report [PDF], page ii)
• Of that $170.5 billion, 66% went to "Improve the Nation's Nutrition and Health"--while the previous year it was 46%.
  (Source: FY2009 Performance and Accountability Report [PDF], page 5 [note, the graphs have incorrect labels])
• What went down while that went up?
  • "Support Increased Economic Opportunities and Improved Quality of Life in Rural America" was cut to 1/5 of what it was...now only 3% of the budget.
  • "Enhance International Competitiveness of American Agriculture" is 1/4 what it was the year before.
  • "Enhance the Competitiveness and Sustainability of Rural and Farm Economies" drupped from 25% to 19%.
  • In other words, a shift from rural funding to handouts.
    (Source: FY2009 Performance and Accountability Report [PDF], page 5 [note, the graphs have incorrect labels])
• The USDA has more than 100,000 employees, which is addition to state agricultural agencies--and contractors. Note, however, Secretary Vilsack reports that they have no idea how many employees they have--he can't get an answer. But some people think that it's about 1 UDSA employee for every 30 farmers or farm workers!