May 2023

Dr. Aaron Dossey has taken what began as a Facebook hobby of photographing insects and turned it into a successful research business, thanks in part to funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA’s) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

Renee McDonald, a first-generation sheep producer in Lee County Georgia, spends many nights monitoring newborn ewes. In the last lambing season at Sheepy Acres Farm, eight out of ten of her pregnant ewes gave birth to twins. The lambing season holds many memories, but it also presents challenges, including twin births that require double the attention.

We are at a pivotal moment for USDA and U.S. agriculture.

It was a great start to National Small Business Month at the Southeast States “Path to Prosperity" event in Albany, Georgia on May 2. Path to Prosperity is a regional business and economic development workshop series that features experts from the financial industry, federal government, community partners, and stakeholders.

Emergency responders are an interesting lot. As a culture we recognize and value those who rush toward an emergency while others flee to safety. They work or volunteer as firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical workers, dispatchers and in a variety of support positions. Chances are good that you know an emergency responder. You might even serve in that capacity yourself.

One of my favorite activities is to see FNS programs in action. Therefore, as often as I can, I try to visit schools that know how to have fun while feeding kids healthy meals. Recently, I had the chance to visit Rialto Unified School District (RUSD) and learn about their success in doing just that. They just earned USDA’s 2022 Turnip the Beet Gold Award, two years in a row!

Americans love their shrimp. No matter how you eat them, by pounds consumed, the popularity of these delectable little morsels ranks well ahead of salmon and more than doubles that of canned tuna.

Water has always shaped where we plant our communities and how they grow. If you farm, fish, or live in rural America, you know that healthy waterways are vital to ensuring that communities, large or small, can continue to thrive.

Most Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants who can work already do. SNAP’s food assistance benefits are critical to helping these workers put food on the table as the jobs they hold often pay low wages, offer unreliable hours, and don’t provide benefits like paid sick leave. Reliable, high-quality work is a powerful way out of poverty, and USDA’s SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) helps gain professional skills and connections to better employment opportunities.

Members of the United States Armed Forces sacrifice so much to keep us safe and protect our country. Every May Americans recognize their efforts and express gratitude during Military Appreciation Month. At USDA, we also celebrate the contributions that our Military members have made to agriculture and farming.