Blog Archives

Since 2014, the ten USDA Climate Hubs have been helping farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, resource managers, and rural communities plan for and manage weather- and climate-related risks and vulnerabilities. A key element of that effort has been the distribution of information resources via the Climate Hubs web portal. Our national and regional webpages are important components of our program’s outreach and communications efforts, and complement our on-the-ground work to provide practical, pragmatic, and science-based approaches to address climate change impacts on working lands.

Food is an important thing that everyone thinks about. For those who are fortunate, when they’re hungry, food is easily available to them. Unfortunately, millions of students during the summer don’t have the privilege of knowing where their next meal is coming from because they no longer receive the meals they relied on throughout the school year. Without proper nutrition year round, it can be difficult for kids to learn, grow, and thrive.

Doctors and scientists have discovered a way to reduce the chances of children developing a common and sometimes deadly allergy. Recent studies have found that peanut allergies can be prevented in a high percentage of cases by introducing children to peanut-containing foods while they are still infants.

Did you know that Georgia poultry farmers produced the greatest number of chickens for meat (broilers) with 1.4 billion in 2016 followed by Alabama and Arkansas with just over 1 billion each? In all, the total value of U.S. broiler chicken production was $25.9 billion in 2016.

National forests and grasslands deliver countless benefits to the American people. They support economies. They create jobs. They’re home to countless species of fish and wildlife. They offer world-class recreation opportunities. They purify our water and air. The list goes on.

Do you remember learning about the food groups in school? You may have been taught using the Food Wheel, Food Guide Pyramid or MyPyramid depending on your age. Kids today learn about the food groups from MyPlate. Now that the back-to-school season is settling down, the nutritionists at MyPlate are offering a back-to-basics refresher lesson on the food groups.

Think it’s safe to go outside without mosquitoes bothering you? Think again! Labor Day is over, but mosquitoes are still buzzing around, waiting for their next prey. This blood-feeding pest is more than annoying, since some mosquitoes can transmit viruses that can cause diseases such as Zika.

America marks National Hunting and Fishing Day on September 23, 2017. It started when Congress unanimously passed a joint resolution and former President Richard Nixon issued a proclamation on May 2, 1972, urging “all citizens to join with outdoor sportsmen in the wise use of our natural resources and in ensuring their proper management for the benefit of future generations.”

Secretary Perdue has proclaimed September “National Food Safety Education Month (PDF, 346 KB)“. To celebrate, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is developing innovative food safety trainings for school nutrition professionals and honoring training graduates like Barbara Griffiths MSBA, RD, SNS, who make safe and nutritious foods a priority in their programs.  As a graduate of USDA’s Produce Safety University, Griffiths has learned to source local fruits and vegetables from growers within her community and turn them into innovative menu items!

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas has developed a new USDA web application – Hurricane Harvey Damage Reporter – to help staff assess post-storm, agricultural damages faster and easier than the previous handwritten process.