In this solicited article, Willard Cochrane, the U S Department of Agriculture's first Director of Agricultural Economics, assesses the mission, performance, and organization of-the Economic Research Service (ERS) 22 years after Its establishment m 1961 The current organization IS satisfactory, and the agency has done an excellent Job providing-information on past trends, current situation, and short-term outlook It has been less successful m anticipating Important problem areas Although ERS has a reservoir of good will among Its clients, It does not have the hard support that interest groups sometimes give their companion Government agencies Its future depends on providing quality economic intelligence that will cause Its clients to view ERS as indispensable Future problems may relate to funding, recruiting, and defining the Agency's role With respect to the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture