Florida

Cross posted from the White House Rural Champions of Change website: Linda Roberson is the Town Manager and Finance Director of Zolfo Springs, Florida.

In conjunction with National Bike Month, the National Forests in Florida celebrated the renovation of the Munson Hills Off-Road Bicycle Trail on the Apalachicola National Forest. The project was funded by the Recovery Act. The ribbon-cutting event in Bristol, Fla., was attended by an enthusiastic...

On a sunny day last week in West Palm Beach, Fla., Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced $100 million in financial assistance to boost wetlands restoration in the Northern Everglades watershed. With the announcement, USDA aims to purchase the development rights on as much as 24,000 acres of...

In Florida, saving water and reducing nutrient runoff are top priorities for state and federal agencies. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Brooksville Plant Materials Center staff and the faculty at two University of Florida Research and Education Centers are collaborating on...

Cross posted from the Let's Move! blog: It was off to the Sunshine State for our team of judges in the First Lady’s Recipes for Healthy Kids contest where they joined students at Orlando’s Liberty Middle School. The competition to date has been intense as kids cooked up some delectable dishes...

At USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), we subscribe to the “Every day is Earth Day” way of thinking. Celebrating Earth Day provides us with the opportunity to underscore the significance of the work being done every day by our agency, through conservation planning and producer...

Across our communities, young farmers are taking out loans, rolling up their sleeves and taking part in the American Dream in hopes of becoming future farmers with the ability to own a farm of their own one day. Rebecca Hatcher and Jake Broadway are members of the Grundy County High School Future...

Cross posted from the Let's Move! blog: Back in January, we posted a blog about the Chefs Move to Schools initiative, called Chef Helps Special Needs School Children Explore New Foods. The story highlighted the efforts of Morning Star School, Orlando, Fla., and created a windfall of support in the...

Rural Development (RD) programs are making a positive difference in rural Florida. And, I have proof! I recently returned from a two-day tour of USDA projects with Undersecretary Dallas Tonsager and Rural Utilities Service Administrator Jonathan Adelstein where we witnessed firsthand how RD’s...

The saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. In this same context, it takes all of us working together to feed hungry children, especially in the summer months when even more of our nation’s kids go without proper nutrition. The government, however, cannot solve this challenge alone. Over...