In the state governments of the United States, all 50 states have the executive position of agriculture commissioner, director of agriculture, or secretary of agriculture. This official is in charge of the state's agriculture department. The agriculture commissioners are organized at the national level by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.[1]
The agriculture commissioner is elected in 12 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia. The powers and duties of the office vary from state to state, but are often substantial: in about 40 states, agriculture departments regulate the animal industry, and in roughly half the states, agriculture departments regulate food safety and meat inspection.[2] In some states, the agriculture commissioner has more power. For example, in Florida the agriculture commissioner is one of three members of the Florida Cabinet (along with the governor and attorney general), giving the commissioner some influence over state policy beyond agriculture.[2] In North Dakota, the agriculture commissioner sits on a number of important boards, such as the North Dakota Industrial Commission (which oversees the state-owned North Dakota Mill and Elevator and Bank of North Dakota).[2]
| State | Officeholder | Title | Term start | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries | Commissioner | January 2019 | Republican Party | ||
| Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Agriculture | Director | February 17, 2016 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Arizona Department of Agriculture | Director | April 10, 2015 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Arkansas Department of Agriculture | Secretary | 2015 | Nonpartisan | ||
| California Department of Food and Agriculture | Secretary | January 12, 2011 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Colorado Department of Agriculture | Commissioner | February 17, 2015 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Connecticut Department of Agriculture | Commissioner | March 1, 2011 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Delaware Department of Agriculture | Secretary | January 25, 2017 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services | Commissioner | January 3, 2023 | Republican Party | ||
| Georgia Department of Agriculture | Commissioner | January 12, 2023 | Republican Party | ||
| Hawaii Department of Agriculture | [3] | Commissioner | February[4] 15, 2019 | Nonpartisan | |
| Idaho Department of Agriculture | Director | January 2, 2007 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Illinois Department of Agriculture | Director | November 16, 2015 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Indiana Department of Agriculture | Director | January 8, 2018 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship | Secretary | March 1, 2018 | |||
| Kansas Department of Agriculture | Secretary | December 10, 2013 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Kentucky Department of Agriculture | Commissioner | January 1, 2024 | |||
| Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry | Commissioner | January 14, 2008 | Republican Party | ||
| Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry | Commissioner | 2019 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Maryland Department of Agriculture | Secretary | December 23, 2014 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Massachusetts Department of Agriculture | Commissioner | February 6, 2015 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development | Gary McDowell[5] | Director | December 2018 | Nonpartisan | |
| Minnesota Department of Agriculture | Thom Petersen[6] | Commissioner | January, 2019 | Nonpartisan | |
| Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce | Commissioner | 2018 | Republican Party | ||
| Missouri Department of Agriculture | Director | 2017 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Montana Department of Agriculture | Christy Clark[7] | Director | January 31, 2022 | Nonpartisan | |
| Nebraska Department of Agriculture | Director | December 5, 2017 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Nevada Department of Agriculture | Jennifer Ott[8] | Director | March 4, 2019 | Nonpartisan | |
| New Hampshire Department of Agriculture | Commissioner | December 9, 2017 | Nonpartisan | ||
| New Jersey Department of Agriculture | Secretary | February 10, 2009 | Nonpartisan | ||
| New Mexico Department of Agriculture | Secretary | 2011 | Nonpartisan | ||
| New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets | Commissioner | January 9, 2014 | Nonpartisan | ||
| North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services | Commissioner | February 8, 2005 | |||
| North Dakota Department of Agriculture | Commissioner | 2009 | Republican Party | ||
| Ohio Department of Agriculture | Director | January 31, 2023 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry | Secretary | January 10, 2011 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Oregon Department of Agriculture | Director | January 23, 2017 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture | Secretary | January 20, 2015 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Rhode Island Department of Agriculture | Commissioner | 1998 | Nonpartisan | ||
| South Carolina Department of Agriculture | Commissioner | 2005 | Republican Party | ||
| South Dakota Department of Agriculture | Hunter Roberts[9] | Secretary | April 19, 2021[10] | Nonpartisan | |
| Tennessee Department of Agriculture | Dr. Charlie Hatcher[11] | Commissioner | January 19, 2021 | Nonpartisan | |
| Texas Department of Agriculture | Commissioner | 2015 | Republican Party | ||
| Utah Department of Agriculture and Food | Craig Buttars[12] | Commissioner | January 5, 2021[13] | Nonpartisan | |
| Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets | Secretary | January 5, 2017 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services | Commissioner | May 21, 2021 | Nonpartisan | ||
| Washington State Department of Agriculture | Director | June 15, 2015 | Nonpartisan | ||
| West Virginia Department of Agriculture | Commissioner | January 16, 2017 | Republican Party | ||
| Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection | Secretary | January 7, 2019 | |||
| Wyoming Department of Agriculture | Director | March 15, 2015 | Nonpartisan |