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A Blueprint for Stronger Service

January 09, 2012 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

Today at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 93 rd Annual Meeting, I thanked about 10,000 farmers for helping to make U.S. agriculture a bright spot in our nation’s economy. In the past few decades, U.S. agriculture has become the second most productive sector of the American economy, thanks to...

USDA Results

Earth Team Volunteers Cleaning Mississippi Lake

January 09, 2012 Justin Fritscher, NRCS Mississippi

A special Earth Team volunteer group was recently formed to benefit Ross Barnett Reservoir, in central Mississippi. Keep the Rez Beautiful was created by an NRCS employee in late 2010 to promote conservation and water quality in the reservoir. Earth Team is the volunteer workforce for USDA’s Natural...

Conservation

In Oregon, Beaver Dams are Being Used to Restore Habitat

January 09, 2012 Matthew Burks, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, U.S. Forest Service

The Forest Service is known for developing partnerships to get the greatest good out of scarce fiscal resources. On the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest one of the partners is four-legged.

Conservation Forestry

People’s Garden Helps to Strengthen a Community in Costa Rica

January 09, 2012 Kelly Stange, Agricultural Attaché, FAS Office in Costa Rica

The Foreign Agricultural Service office in San Jose broke ground on its own People’s Garden in Fall 2009. Ever since that day our embassy employees and their families, as well as members of the local community, have learned about the benefits of eating fresh, healthy foods.

Trade Initiatives

Social Media Moment Number One: Redesigning USDA

December 30, 2011 Amanda Eamich, Director of Web Communications

If you've been following our favorite Social Media Moments of 2011, you can see we had a lot to choose from. Top on our list isn't necessarily a social media moment, but is an important moment in our focus on providing better service through web communication. The redesign of USDA.gov in April 2011...

Technology

Secretary's Column: A New Year For Agriculture

December 30, 2011 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

As we enjoy the holiday season, it is a great time to celebrate all that American agriculture has accomplished, and to look ahead to a productive new year. Our farmers, ranchers and growers make incredible contributions each day to the health and strength of this country. Thanks to their...

USDA Results

Football Turf a Source of Protein?

December 30, 2011 Craig Morris, Deputy Administrator, AMS Livestock and Seed Program

When a Kansas State University football player plants his opponent’s face into the turf, the result may be a better-tasting blend of artificial grass. Turf is not a part of the USDA’s MyPlate recommendations, but defensive ends playing in the Wildcats’ stadium can skip their pre-game soy latte and...

Research and Science

International Market Analysis Just a Mouse Click Away

December 29, 2011 Michael Sheats, Director of the Poultry Market News and Analysis Division

U.S. broiler meat exports to Sub-Saharan Africa have increased 24 percent since 2010 and 460 percent since 2001. The U.S. is the largest supplier of China’s turkey meat imports, totaling nearly 90 percent of all imports. Turkey meat imports to China in 2011 will increase 70 percent over 2010.

Trade

With Social Media, Your News Becomes Our News

December 29, 2011 Rebecca Frank, New Media Content Specialist, Office of Communications

Here in the Office of Communications at USDA, we work hard every day to get news and information out the digital door and into the hands of our diverse stakeholders. This steady flow of information takes the form of press releases, tweets, photos, videos, blogs and more. With the growing popularity...

Technology

U.S., China Plant Seeds for Stable Global Growth

December 28, 2011 Dr. Paul Zankowski, Commissioner of the AMS Plant Variety Protection Office

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently hosted two examiners from China who were on hand to learn the U.S. system for examining new plant variety applications. AMS’s Plant Variety Protection Office and the American Seed Trade Association invited Yang Yang and Lingo Gao from China’s...

Animals Plants