November 2010

As the nation’s capitol geared up for Halloween and midterm elections, the USDA Food Safety Discovery Zone (FSDZ) was equally busy at the end of October spreading its Be Food Safe messages to Washington, D.C. residents and tourists. In just one week, the FSDZ hosted a Food Safety Education Camp on Gallaudet University’s campus for students from Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and Maryland School for the Deaf, followed by an exhibit at the 2010 Marine Corps Marathon Health and Fitness Expo by GE, where over 100,000 health-conscious participants were ready to learn illness prevention measures.

November is National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month and a fitting time to highlight USDA Rural Development’s recent projects on tribal lands. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Mashpee, Massachusetts, are the direct ancestors of those who helped the Pilgrims on their arrival to New England over 400 years ago. Thanks to recent financing from USDA Rural Development (USDA RD), a means to preserve their culture and conduct tribal operations will soon improve dramatically.

Recently, I had the privilege of visiting Northern Mississippi to recognize two schools for meeting USDA’s HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC). I stopped at Pope Elementary/Junior High School in Pope, Miss. and met with and congratulated the cafeteria and other staff for achieving a Bronze Award.  I then traveled to Grenada Upper Elementary School in Grenada, Miss., for an assembly where I recognized the school for earning a Gold Award.

The people of Winston County, Mississippi faced many of the same problems as other rural communities across the nation: declining population, rising prices, and family farmers in need of capital, business tools, and new markets for their products.  But they were determined to overcome these challenges.

When native son Frank Taylor returned to his hometown after college he established the Winston County Self-Help Cooperative, a consortium of local farmers that pool their resources to receive training in business development, conservation, health, and other topics of concern.  The Cooperative also has a youth program, which teaches vital skills to the next generation of Winston County farmers.

As part of the Obama Administration’s goal of doubling renewable energy production by 2012, America’s rural electric cooperatives are stepping forward to develop new, sustainable ways to produce electricity.  These efforts are not only good for the environment; they help meet an expanding need for power due to growing rural consumer demand.  The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), part of USDA’s Rural Development mission area, is a willing and ready partner in this effort.

Biofuel stakeholders and agricultural leaders participated in Virginia’s Biofuels Forum on November 4^th. The forum was held at the Virginia Farm Bureau Building located in Goochland.

Las votaciones para  las elecciones de los Comité de Condado de la Farm Service Agency del 2010 comienzan mañana. Queremos que los productores participen en el proceso devolviendo sus boletas de votación antes de la fecha limite de diciembre.

The 2010 Capitol Christmas Tree will be harvested and prepared for its cross-country journey this weekend. This year’s tree is coming from the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming, the first time the tree has come from Wyoming. The tree, a 67-foot Engelmann Spruce, will be harvested at 8 a.m. local time in Wyoming.

Voting opens tomorrow for the 2010 Farm Service Agency County Committee elections and producers are being encouraged to get involved by turning in their ballots before the December deadline.

Samuel Wall and Russ Mann are Consumer Safety Inspectors (CSI) assigned to the night shift at a poultry plant in Farmerville, LA.  They, and thousands of FSIS inspectors in plants across the country, play a vital role in making sure that the food reaching your dinner table is safe.  In Sam and Russ’ case, the two could be content just doing their work and going home.  But the two see their job as so much more. In addition to the normal jobs they perform, they also have made their mission to train newly hired CSIs assigned to the shift.