USDA Blog

Ending childhood obesity within a generation is the central goal of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative. We know achieving this goal requires all of us to work together - parents, teachers, schools, chefs, community leaders, Federal, State and local elected officials and our children - there’s a...

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced the availability of nearly $5 million in funds for community-based food and agriculture projects through the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program (CFP). Applications should: Meet the needs of low-income people by...

Cross-Posted from the Let's Move! Blog Have you ever wanted fresh, local produce but didn’t know how to find the nearest farmers market? The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) makes it easy with the National Farmers Market search engine, which lists more than 6,100 markets across the nation...

The USDA Food Safety Discovery Zone travels to Notre Dame, Indiana, September 3-4, 2010, to meet the “Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.” The University of Notre Dame is one of the largest, most historical, and most recognized names in college football. The team plays its home games on the University of...

Cross-posted from the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Blog Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Hugh Topper, Group Vice President of Fresh at H-E-B, a regional supermarket based in San Antonio. As a Texan, Hugh is proud of his state and, even more so, his state’s farmers and ranchers. The fact...

On August 23, Secretary Vilsack visited the San Antonio Food Bank, which – with the help of USDA and the Recovery Act – is assisting the needy during these difficult economic times.

Recently, fellow staff member, Victor Ho, and I ventured out to the Midwest Region’s People’s Garden on the west side of Chicago. It was a sunny, 80 degree day and we were ready to harvest a bumper crop of vegetables. We also wanted to check out the garden’s new wireless Electronic Benefit Transfer...

Last Sunday, CBS News featured USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan and discussed how farmers markets are part of a fundamental shift in the way people access their food and interact with their community. And, as the story notes, “… [f]armers markets and other forms of selling straight to customers are...

Last Sunday, CBS News featured USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan and discussed how farmers markets are part of a fundamental shift in the way people access their food and interact with their community. And, as the story notes, “… [f]armers markets and other forms of selling straight to customers are...

The Imperial Foods noodle factory will soon open its doors in Douala, Cameroon, thanks to the truly international collaboration between public and private partners. Cameroonian entrepreneur Ahmadou Danpoulo Baba teamed up with U.S. Wheat Associates’ offices on three continents, the North American...