2022

Climate change is causing greater environmental and economic challenges for U.S. agriculture. But did you know that soil health practices can help working farmlands become more resilient to climate extremes?

School meals are foundational to the health and nutrition for millions of our nation’s children.

The Food and Nutrition Service’s Turnip the Beet awards recognize outstanding summer meal program sponsors for going above and beyond, ensuring children receive high quality meals in a fun, safe and healthy learning environment when school is out. These nutritious meals help keep children healthy all summer and ready to learn when school resumes.

What comes to mind when you think of South Dakota? Is it the Black Hills, presidential busts and bison? According to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s 2017 Census of Agriculture, South Dakota has the largest inventory of bison of any state in the United States, with over 30,000 bison spread across 99 farms and ranches. We will update these numbers and find out if this holds true with the upcoming 2022 Census of Agriculture. Census of Agriculture data collection begins this fall.

USDA Rural Development’s Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program has options for lenders to help homebuyers finance homes across rural America. This includes manufactured homes, which can help boost the housing supply in rural America and bring homeownership within reach for millions of people.

USDA just launched a new research and visualization tool that summarizes published scientific research on bird species-vegetation relationships in the Eastern and Boreal Forests of North America. The tool, Literature Gateway: A Systematic Map of Bird-Vegetation Relationships in Eastern and Boreal Forests, can be used to identify science-need gaps and guide habitat restoration and forest management practices on the ground.

As you plan your Fourth of July celebration, remember these 10 food safety tips to keep your barbecue free from foodborne illness:

When applying an equity lens to nutrition programs, it is essential for policymakers to orient themselves toward the perspective of all communities they serve. We must actively take the time to see and listen to truly understand historical inequities that exist, so that we may be better positioned to address them.

Last week, to celebrate June Dairy Month, I visited Crave Brothers Farmstead in Waterloo, Wisconsin, where I toured this family farm and cheese factory, and learned about how the Crave family crafts their award-winning cheeses. In recent years, dairy farmers have faced many challenges, and USDA has been there along the way to help support dairy businesses as they drive local economies throughout the country.

June is Caribbean American Heritage Month! Many foods and beverages originated in the Caribbean. For instance, Chocolate milk originated in Jamaica and Barbados is considered the birthplace of rum.