The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had its origin in the U.S. Patent Office, one of the first federal offices. In 1837, an employee of the Patent Office, Henry L. Ellsworth, began to distribute seeds to American farmers that he had received...

Established in 1862, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (DOA) works with landowners to maintain the productive capacity of their land while helping them to protect soil, water, forests and other natural resources. The department conducts a large part...

The United States Department of Agriculture (also called the Agriculture Department, or USDA) is a United States Federal Executive Department (or Cabinet Department). Its purpose is to develop and execute policy on farming, agriculture, and food. It...

Byline: Roger Bernard Farm-state lawmakers who were relying on new USDA Secretary Ed Schafer to influence the administration's threat to veto the farm bill are probably disappointed. Schafer won quick approval by the Senate and was sworn in by Vice President Dick...

USDA Actions Inspection and Certification of Peanuts Required USDA now requires that all peanuts sold for human consumption be inspected and certified. According USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), approximately 95 percent of the peanuts sold for human consumption...

Booze for Nothing and Your Vits for FreeThe New York Times reports that the latest trendy cocktail is more fruit than gin, like the cocktail made from fresh lime juice, fresh strawberries, mint and VeeV, a 60-proof liqueur made from the açía berry. You can...

UNEXPECTED JOLTS OF JAVA: A morning cup of joe is a workday given, with 57 percent of adult Americans drinking at least one cup every day, according to the National Coffee Association. But when craving coffee's warmth, smell and taste without jittery hands at the...