USDA

In 2008, Illinois received an unprecedented amount of rainfall, which flooded thousands of acres of agricultural lands. Historically, much of this land was floodplains that held and drained water. But in the past century, over half of the floodplains in Illinois have been altered by levees, lock and...

This post is part of a special series written by students celebrating 4-H’s commitment to science. “Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety- nine, one hu— Whoa watch where you’re going. Can’t a guy do some pushups without being trampled? Let me guess, you’re looking for Carlye? Thought so. Well, she’s at...

Each year our agency, USDA’s Economic Research Service, produces a six-page brochure packed with information on social and economic conditions in rural areas of the nation. This information is particularly useful for agencies that develop policies and programs to assist rural areas. We recently...

For the third year in a row, hundreds of thousands of youth throughout the country are gathering today to celebrate 4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD) by simultaneously conducting the National Science Experiment.

This post is part of a special series written by students celebrating 4-H’s commitment to science. My name is Grace Baldwin. I am a high school junior and nine-year 4-H member. 4-H has been a huge part of my life ever since I was very young. Last summer, I had an amazing opportunity to go to Ghana...

Jessica Zufolo, deputy administrator for the USDA Rural Utilities Service, was a guest speaker at the 75 th anniversary of the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) celebration in McCook, Nebraska late last month. Also attending were USDA Rural Development Nebraska State Director Maxine Moul...

In September, I was one of 28 Junior Professionals and two advisors from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) who traveled to the Midwest for an annual agricultural training trip. This training opportunity exposed members of FAS’s Junior Professional Advisory Committee (JPAC) to a broad range...

Cooperatives are born out of community need. They are founded on the ideals of social responsibility and self-help. For that reason, it seems most fitting that the seventh of the cooperative principles is “concern for community.” Members of the National Cooperative Business Association—and...

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from the USDA's rich science and research portfolio. Exotic animals are a growing problem in Florida. From Burmese pythons to Nile monitors, these animals are invading...

My name is Luana Xiong. I am 14 years old and part of Merced County 4-H in California. I have been in 4-H for five years. Some of the projects I do in 4-H include photography and arts and crafts, but the one part of 4-H that I absolutely love is science.