A federal contractor was taken to the hospital yesterday with non-life threatening stab wounds after some sort of confrontation with another employee. The USDA complex at Independence Avenue and 14th Street SW was put on lockdown as the situation was brought under control. But the details behind the stabbing are still quite sketchy, the Post reports.

Like many federal departments and agencies, security at Agriculture is farmed out to private security contractors, but is overseen by the Federal Protection Service. The Post interviewed Misty Falcon, an employee from Oregon in D.C. for department training who was shocked that something like this could happen. “For a federal building, you wouldn’t think this was possible,” she told the Post.

Well this DCist isn’t necessarily surprised. We can look back on our time working for the federal government and remembering co-workers coming in with knives for the never-ending parade of office birthdays and retirement celebrations. We had so much cake in six short months.

In terms of federal departments, Agriculture is one of the more low key. Besides getting a new secretary and mad cow disease, the USDA is very much off the radar screens of most of Washington. We would also like to note that the USDA’s own cafeteria was shut down by the D.C. Department of Health for unsanitary conditions back in 2003 because of evidence of rat droppings in ovens and the salad bar.

And on a sidenote, if you want to take classes, the USDA Graduate School, has wide variety.