[2] The original agency had a staff of nine, including the Governor and eight others who met twice a year to conduct state business.
[2] In 1961, the commissioner and his department moved out of the State's downtown Nashville offices and into a new facility south of the city called the Elligton Agricultural Center.
The facility is a working farm and named for Buford Ellington, the 40th Governor of Tennessee who also served as Commissioner of Agriculture in the late 1950s.
The Department is charged with promoting wise uses of Tennessee's agricultural and forest resources, developing economic opportunities for Tennesseans, and ensuring safe and dependable food and fiber for the State.
The department also oversees food safety, pesticide use, and fuel quality and fairness for Tennessean consumers.