USDA Blog

I just went to the Capitol to hear the President address Congress about the way forward to grow the economy and create jobs. There is no doubt that these have been tough times. And it's very tough for the many Americans who are looking for work. So we’ve got to keep finding ways to help the...

Brothers Richard and Jim Guldin both went to Penn State, both eventually joined the U.S. Forest Service and both ended up in forest research.You might say their professional path continues their family’s legacy.

Only a month after spring floods ravaged the Huntley Irrigation Canal near Huntley, Montana, and temporarily halted irrigation, over 30,000 acres of crops are receiving water.

U.S. cattle ranching has evolved over time to bring together the cultural traditions of the West with new technology to produce quality U.S. livestock products. But did you ever think that these ways of the west could benefit a new frontier halfway around the world? In 2007, USDA’s Foreign...

Hi, I’m Dr. Shanna Siegel, a Veterinary Medical Officer with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). I have been working for APHIS for the past 3 years on import and export matters here in Georgia. After finishing vet school I worked as a small animal practitioner in a semi-rural...

The USDA Scottsbluff Service Center, local Agri-businesses and local producers delivered on September 2 nd, more than 6,150 pounds of food to the Community Action Partnership of Western Nebraska (CAPWN) in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The food was collected through the “Feds Feed Families”. CAPWN’s local...

This week I joined Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on a tour of North Carolina and Virginia to assess areas damaged by Hurricane Irene and to discuss ways USDA can help residents recover. Secretary Napolitano and I had the opportunity to see farmland devastated by the...

This month, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is taking part in a “ Cook It Safe” campaign to raise awareness about the need to follow package instructions in order to fully cook pre-prepared foods and prevent foodborne illness. Due to illnesses in recent years resulting from undercooked pre...

Hello, I’m Dr. Jeffrey Nelson. I’m a Veterinary Medical Officer with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). I work in Ames, Iowa at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL). Being a veterinarian runs in my family - my father is a veterinarian for USDA as well. I heard...

In July of 2008, Swan's Island Library and former Old Atlantic Schoolhouse (circa 1903) was struck by lightning. The building and its contents were completely destroyed by fire, and along with it and important community gathering place and a treasured piece of history. Three years to the month after...