United States Department of Agriculture

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In 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln founded the United States Department of Agriculture, he called it the 'people's Department.' In Lincoln's day, 58 percent of the people were farmers who needed good seeds and information to grow their crops. Today, the USDA continues Lincoln's legacy by serving all Americans. The USDA leads the Federal anti-hunger effort with the food stamp, school lunch, school breakfast, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children programs. It is the steward of the nation's nearly 200 million acres of national forests and rangelands. It is the country's largest conservation agency, encouraging voluntary efforts to protect soil, water and wildlife of 70 percent of America's lands that are in private hands. The USDA brings housing, modern telecommunications and safe drinking water to rural America. It is responsible for the safety of meat, poultry and egg products. It is a research leader in everything from human nutrition to new crop technologies that allow for the growth of more food and fiber using less water and pesticides The USDA helps ensure open markets for United States agricultural products and provides food aid to needy people overseas. The United States Department of Agriculture is headquartered in Washington, D.C.