USDA http://www.usda.gov/
Director, Thomas J. Vilsack, former Gov of Iowa (1998-2006) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Vilsack
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USDA was created in 1862 (under A.Lincoln) and made a Cabinet post in 1889 (under G.Cleveland), originally a part of the Patent Office overseen by Henry Leavitt Ellsworth.
USDA operates over 17 agencies:
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), http://www.ams.usda.gov/
Agricultural Research Service (ARS), http://www.ars.usda.gov/
*Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), http://www.aphis.usda.gov/
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP), http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) http://www.csrees.usda.gov/
Economic Research Service (ERS), http://www.ers.usda.gov/
Farm Service Agency (FSA), http://www.fsa.usda.gov/
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), http://www.fns.usda.gov/
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), http://www.fsis.usda.gov/
Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), http://www.fas.usda.gov/
**Forest Service (FS), http://www.fs.fed.us/
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Admin. (GIPSA), http://www.gipsa.usda.gov/
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), http://www.nass.usda.gov/
National Finance Center (NFC), http://www.nfc.usda.gov/
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/
Risk Management Agency (RMA), http://www.rma.usda.gov/
Rural Development (RD), http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/
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*Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), consists of 6 agencies:
Wildlife Services, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage
Animal Care (AC)
Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS)
International Services (IS)
Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ)
Veterinary Services
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**Forest Service, http://www.fs.fed.us/ , est.1905
Director, Thomas L. Tidwell
Dep. Dir., Hank Kashdan
ADDRESS: 1400 Independence Ave. S.W., Wash. D.C. 20250
