The overarching mission of the land-grant system is to combine teaching, research, and extension to create and disseminate knowledge that benefits society. One focus of this mission has been to improve the production capability and economic efficiency of farming. This agricultural mission has been achieved with mostly positive payoffs forthe environment, consumers, producers, and the nation. However, the real dollar value of federal support for agricultural research has stagnated. If federal support is to expand in the future, a new mission is needed.