doi:10.7916/70tb-s563Oral history interview with Krysta L. Harden, 2021Harden, Krysta Laverne, 1959-oral historiesmixed materialPresidents--United StatesFood--Safety measures--United StatesMinority farmers--Civil rights--United StatesCrops and climate--United StatesAgriculture--Environmental aspectsAgricultural subsidies--Law and legislation--United StatesHarden, Krysta Laverne, 1959-Obama, BarackSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (U.S.)United States. Department of AgricultureUnited StatesHealthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010Agricultural Act of 2014Krysta Harden discusses her contribution to the agriculture policy of the Obama administration, in which she served as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s assistant secretary of congressional relations from 2009 to 2011, chief of staff to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack from 2011 to 2013, and deputy secretary of agriculture from 2013 to 2016. Harden focuses on the political and legislative dynamics that shape USDA's activities and operations, and provides details about the negotiations that led to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, including the balance between appropriations for agricultural subsidies and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Harden also outlines the remarkable scope of the USDA, and describes its imprint on the rural economy, its role in ensuring food safety, and its global programs, including those focused on the effects of climate change on agriculture. Also discussed are the aging of American farmers and the difficulties faced by beginning farmers, USDA's efforts to support women farmers and farmers of color, the settlement of discrimination claims with Black and Native American farmers and ranchers with Pigford v. Glickman and Keepseagle v. Vilsack, consolidation in American agribusiness, and Harden's management of the USDA's day-to-day operations during the 2013 government shutdown