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Biofuels: Ready to Fly into the Future

Imagine flying from Los Angeles to the Washington, D.C. region on a plane fueled with American farm products or forestry waste. Sounds farfetched? Well, it is already becoming a reality. Thanks to U.S. production of sustainable aviation fuel, airlines can help address climate change and create rural jobs by using this fuel option. That’s why USDA, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Energy announced a “Grand Challenge” to support the production of 35 billion gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) per year by 2050.

Expanding Elderly Care for a Better Community

In December 2017, Steve Coetzee, President and CEO of the Fahrney-Keedy Memorial Home, realized many of the surrounding senior care facilities in Boonsboro, Maryland were closing and that his team would need to expand their facility to meet future demand. However, the home did not have the available funds to do so.

Agricultural Research Data Network Increases Access to Historical Crop Data

Crop researchers are hungry for data to feed their crop models. There is a wealth of historical data that’s inaccessible because today’s crop model software applications cannot easily interpret it. USDA’s National Agricultural Library (NAL) is working with the University of Florida and the Agricultural Research Data Network (ARDN) to solve this problem.

Extinguishing the Risk of Foodborne Illness during Wildfires

The United States was impacted by more than 52,000 wildfires in 2020. Not only are wildfires damaging to homes, wildlife and health, they also pose risks to food and cookware. Here are some tips to prevent foodborne illness before and after a wildfire. Please note, make sure you are at a safe distance from the fire and have time to prepare before packing food. If feasible, evacuate before being told to do so.

Thrifty Food Plan Re-evaluation Puts Nutrition in Reach for SNAP Participants

More than 42 million of our neighbors rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to feed their families. USDA recently re-evaluated the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), used to set SNAP benefits, which increased the purchasing power of the plan by 21% for the first time since it was introduced in 1975. As a result, on October 1, SNAP maximum benefit amounts will increase.

U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Play a Key Role During Back-to-School Season

The transition between summer and fall marks another distinct season: Back-to-school. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and America’s farmers and ranchers are critical to preparing students for long school days – from pop quizzes to soccer practice. USDA is providing a back-to-school support kit to assist with menu planning as well as grants to help states develop new school meal recipes that feature local agricultural products.

Avoid Foodborne Illness During Temporary Power Outages

According to Department of Energy data, a recent analysis found that weather-related power outages are up by 67 percent since 2000. Climate change and aging infrastructure are putting a heavy burden on our power grid and the communities they serve. As temperatures rise this summer, so will the consumption of electricity. This may cause some power grids to experience blackouts, an unexpected loss of power lasting minutes, hours or days.