2018

While many students were busy enjoying summer vacation, our nation’s hardworking school nutrition professionals were also staying busy, dedicating their time to training and meal planning for the upcoming school year. During National School Lunch Week (October 15-19), USDA recognizes the tireless effort and love that goes into preparing school lunches for 30 million children.

Last year, Secretary Perdue created the Rural Development Innovation Center, a team devoted to partnership development, regulatory reform, data analysis, and risk management. With a mission of coordinating resources and providing creative solutions for our rural customer, the Innovation Center is designed to hard wire innovation into our program delivery. In recognition of the Innovation Center’s first anniversary, I’d like to share a few reflections on a year of transformation in Rural Development through innovation.

On September 12, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and its partners declared Monroe Township in Clermont County, Ohio, free of Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). This news came just months after APHIS declared Stonelick Township free of the beetle in March.

Welcome to fall! Even though the weather is beginning to cool and the days are becoming shorter, there are so many fun fall activities to do with your family and friends. Whether you’re planning to do something outdoors like apple picking, hiking or camping; or have a fun cookout or pot luck event such as tailgating at a football game, it’s important to handle your food safely. By following our fall food safety tips, you’ll avoid FALLing ill with foodborne illness.

The next time you stroll outside after the rain, thank the soil bacteria below for the sweet, earthy smell that fills the air.

Fifty years ago, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law two landmark pieces of legislation: the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and the National Trails System Act.

When you travel, it’s likely you’ll want to bring home more than just memories of your trip. If you are someone who likes to bring home souvenirs, mementos, food gifts or other objects from overseas, there’s some important information you need to know. Selecting the wrong kinds of items could bring back more than you bargained for… you may also bring along diseases or invasive species that could threaten forests, farms or even your garden. These seemingly harmless items could devastate United States agriculture.

The FoodKeeper app has received an update! The update adds 85 new food items to the FoodKeeper, including chorizo, prosciutto, edamame, fresh salsa, canned tuna, cereal bars, and salad dressings.

Data collected from farmers and ranchers by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) allows for timely and accurate statistics that help our customers – U.S. farmers and ranchers, among many others – make informed business decisions. These vital data also affect farm policy, influence trade and the market, as well as academic and historical research. Producing these statistics depends on a positive survey experience for our customers.

National forests and grasslands—and indeed all of America’s public lands—draw visitors from all over the world. There is no other land management system quite like it.