Founded in 1862 when the country was heavily agrarian, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a federal agency that oversees programs that provide services to farmers and other entities within the agricultural industry. Duties of the USDA include ensuring food safety, combating hunger in the U.S. and abroad, protecting natural resources, supporting agricultural production and trade and seeing to the general needs of workers, businesses and communities tied to the farming industry.

(Source: USDA, WordNet / Photo: Wikimedia Commons)