nutrition

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Amqui Elementary School in Madison, TN yesterday as part of the Obama Administration's 'My Education, My Future' events.

The Obama administration has called on Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life to work to improve their communities as part of the United We Serve project. Here at USDA, many of our more than 100,000 employees are doing their part. They are driven to serve, and proud to identify ways to use their skills to support their own communities.

Take a look at the great work two USDA employees are doing:

People’s Garden—Tom (Goodhue, MN)

Although USDA has its own page on YouTube, we're still looking to find as many ways to get public information out as possible. That's why the Food Safety and Inspection Service is online with a YouTube page of its own at www.youtube.com/USDAFoodSafety.

The same year astronauts set foot on the moon, USDA launched its own massive project to benefit the American people -- the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

Secretary Vilsack prepared a message this month describing the purpose and mission of the Peoples' Garden at USDA headquarters in Washington, DC.

Here's the first part of the message. Check it out, and be sure to visit the Peoples' Garden web page and Twitter feed.

From: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
Re: The Peoples' Garden
July 2009

The weather is holding through this afternoon, and the lunchtime crowd in the Peoples' Garden is excited and really interested to see what's happening.

Early in the afternoon, the DC Central Kitchen, a student-operated non-profit in the District of Columbia which works to develop and serve organic, nutritious food to people in need, demonstrated the making of their bruschetta -- and they're still serving it outside to great reviews!

Secretary Vilsack spoke in New York on Tuesday at the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Last Friday, USDA employees offered a “Healthy Garden" Workshop to teach area residents and visitors about ways to improve soil health in their gardens. The Workshop series will continue every Friday from noon to 12:30 p.m. through September 25, focusing on a different practical gardening skill each week. The events are held outside USDA headquarters at the ‘People’s Garden’ at the corner of 12th and Jefferson Drive SW, across from the National Mall.

Welcome to the United States Department of Agriculture’s new blog, a place where visitors can get the latest news on the work we are doing. Whether we are providing nutrition assistance, maintaining an appropriate safety net for America’s farmers and ranchers, mitigating effects of climate change, conserving our land, managing our forests, or assisting in the creation of renewable energy sources, USDA is an Every Day, Every Way department that touches the lives of every American, every day. So, we have a lot to report.