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USDA Offers Many Resources for Veterans

At the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), we understand the essential role that veterans, military spouses, and transitioning service members can play in revitalizing and strengthening our agricultural industry. This is one of the reasons we provide a range of training resources and support. USDA’s Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison, or MVAL, connects veterans to resources within and outside USDA to help them embark on successful careers in agriculture. These efforts also help move USDA closer to its goal of developing a workforce in which 25 percent of all employees are veterans.

Owning the Cooperative Identity: USDA Celebrates National Co-op Month

This October USDA is celebrating National Cooperative Month, an observance that recognizes the cooperative model, its many influential uses, and how cooperatives benefit their members in numerous ways. There are at least 30,000 cooperatives in the United States providing more than $700 billion to the economy. This year’s theme is Owning Our Identity, a reference to the principles and values that distinguish cooperatives from other business forms.

Knowledge is Power! Increase Your Health Literacy with USDA Resources

October is Health Literacy Month! Health literacy is a crucial component of maintaining our health. It is your ability to access and understand health information and services. Being able to find and use the best available resources can help us live healthier lives, prevent certain health outcomes, and manage health issues.

Revitalized Communities Through Cooperatives: Linda Leaks Shows Interagency Working Group How It’s Done

When Linda Leaks organized tenants in low-income District of Columbia neighborhoods to fight eviction, she helped them gain more than home ownership. In combatting gentrification and the community displacement of the ‘80s and ‘90s, she empowered people to recognize the collective power of the cooperative business model.

A Message from USDA to Ant Keepers

Ant keepers enjoy a fun and educational hobby, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) also has an interest in it. You might wonder what ant keeping has to do with American agriculture and natural resources. Some invertebrates that people—including ant keepers—import into the U.S. or move between states could threaten our crops, forests, and community landscapes if they escape. USDA can help you import and move them safely.

Associate Professor Making a Better Way for Students Through E. Kika de la Garza Fellowship

Dr. Engil Pereira, Associate Professor of the School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), was selected as a fellow in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2022 E. Kika de la Garza fellowship program. Dr. Pereira initially learned about the fellowship through her subscription to USDA mailing lists.

Happy Compromise Farm: Nourishing Their Community, Body and Soul

Happy Compromise Farm + Sanctuary grows nutritious food for their local community distributed through a “free farm stand.” Though surrounded by farms in the rural Southern Tier of New York, the area is a food desert with a 16% poverty rate, a condition that often leads to higher risk for chronic health conditions and limited healthcare.