Blog

For first-time hosts, or even experienced cooks, the Thanksgiving turkey can be a nerve-wracking dish to prepare once a year. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has some tips to reduce any anxiety over cooking your turkey this year.

The 2022 Census of Agriculture, conducted by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), collected more than 6 million data points about America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them. This included information on organic agriculture like producer characteristics (15% were under the age of 35, for example), farm specialization and top states and counties.

At the Office of Customer Experience (OCX), we recognize the importance of providing exceptional experiences for both our internal and external customers. Last month, we celebrated CX Day, which occurs every year on the first Tuesday of October. In honor of this occasion, we’re excited to share insights on one of the most effective tools for improving customer interactions: journey mapping.

“I had a plan, or maybe it was more of a dream,” said Brad Fourby, Navy veteran and owner of Leafy Green Farms. “The moment I saw a shipping container farm is how the idea for my farm started.” Leafy Green Farms is in southeast Kansas, where the population is 20,000 — a big difference from Brad’s hometown of Sacramento, California.

Imagine you are 18 years old, from a rural town, and figuring out your next steps. You want opportunities to learn, meet new people, and travel the world.

“We measure success one student at a time,” said John Phillips, chief of staff at the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), an organization dedicated to improving educational opportunities at 37 Tribal colleges and universities throughout the United States. AIHEC plays a vital role in helping these institutions, many of which hold land-grant status, to preserve and promote Native American culture by incorporating traditional knowledge and cultural values into their programs.

A recent USDA 2501 grant is supporting Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA), which has provided more than 750,000 hours of on-farm training and related coursework in managed grazing dairy production to hundreds of aspiring dairy farmers nationwide. Initially established in 2010 as a state-level apprenticeship in Wisconsin, DGA became an independent nonprofit organization in 2013 and registered its training program as a National Apprenticeship with the U.S. Department of Labor in 2015. Today DGA has more than 200 authorized training farms in 16 states.

Joe Ricker, a man of many titles including colonel, veterans outreach coordinator, nonprofit founder, farm owner, consultant and beekeeper, has consistently dedicated himself to helping service members thrive. His collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been a key factor in his work. “Make a plan, stick to the plan, and USDA will have your back and help you,” he said. This support includes Monshi “Ram” Ramdass, the USDA Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison, who has facilitated connections between Joe, disabled veterans and the resources they need.

Vast flatland, fertile soil and endless prairie make up USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (NASS) Northern Plains Region, which is comprised of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, this region is known for its cattle and calf sales, crop sales — in particular grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas, with each ranking top 10 in the nation — and being near the top in the nation for number of young producers (producers under the age of 35).

To mark Co-op month, we honor James Wadsworth, the USDA Cooperative Services Branch Chief. Jim has been the caretaker of the Agricultural Cooperative Statistics program, which provides aggregated data on and to the agricultural co-op community. This time series is 100 years old and allows cooperatives to compare operations to others in the industry. The annual Top 100 list of the country’s largest cooperatives is derived from this data, giving a snapshot of how cooperatives can scale and still be democratically controlled by members while providing benefits and support to their individual farm operations.