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High Five: NIFA-Funded Research Improves Agriculture

December 29, 2015 Scott Elliott, NIFA Public Affairs

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 USDA’s rich science and research portfolio. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) invests in agricultural sciences that turn research into action by...

Research and Science

2015: A Banner Year for School Meals and the Health of our Nation's Schoolchildren

December 29, 2015 Hans Billger, Public Affairs Specialist, Food and Nutrition Service

It’s been another outstanding year for healthier school meals programs and the millions of American students that benefit from them. Today, more than 97 percent of schools nationwide report they are meeting the updated school meal standards, which are based on pediatricians’ and nutritionists’...

Food and Nutrition

THIS JUST IN: USDA Issues Permit for Santa’s Reindeer to Enter the U.S.

December 23, 2015 Joelle Hayden, APHIS Public Affairs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today issued a movement permit to Mr. S. Claus of the North Pole, a broker with Worldwide Gifts, Unlimited. The permit will allow reindeer to enter and exit the United States between the hours of 6 PM December 24...

Animals Plants

Growing Areas of the Law

December 23, 2015 Kim Kaplan, Public Affairs Specialist, Agricultural Research Service

Success in any part of agriculture today means being able to successfully navigate local, state and federal laws and regulations — from water rights to food safety regulations, from crop insurance to organic certification. To help people find such legal information, the National Agricultural Library...

Health and Safety

NIFA-funded projects help improve quality of life in Indian Country

December 23, 2015 Brian K. Mabry, Communications Coordinator, Office of Communications

When the 1994 land-grant universities began to form there was a hint that something different and special was underway. The new land-grant system would teach in a cultural context that empowered students by drawing on the strength of their peoples’ history, indigenous knowledge, and traditions...

USDA Results Conservation

Soils in the Classroom: Celebrating the Discovery and Donation of a Historic Soils Collection

December 21, 2015 Amy Overstreet, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Vermont

Thanks to the efforts of a dedicated science teacher from New Jersey, a valuable piece of soil science history is now available for viewing and research among the special collections at USDA’s National Agricultural Library (NAL) in Beltsville, Maryland. Jill Guenther, who has taught Earth and space...

Conservation

Shelter Dogs Given Better Life, New Mission at USDA

December 18, 2015 Pamela Boehland, APHIS Public Affairs Specialist

Mya, Hektor and Cain are seated on the floor, next to their handlers and partners, waiting for their names to be called. It’s a big day for the three shelter dogs and their handlers. You may be surprised to learn that many of the dogs trained at APHIS’ National Detector Dog Training Center are...

Animals Plants

America's Diverse Family Farms

December 18, 2015 Bob Hoppe, Economic Research Service

Describing the structure of the U.S. farm sector is challenging because farms vary widely in size and other characteristics. Are they largely family businesses, or corporate operations? U.S. farms range from very small retirement and residential holdings to businesses with sales in the millions of...

Conservation

Deck the Halls with Holiday Data

December 17, 2015 Daphne Schauber, NASS Agricultural Statistician

From the smell of fresh pine, to the vibrant colors of poinsettias, the holiday season is the perfect time of year to spotlight America’s horticulture growers through the just released 2014 Census of Horticultural Specialties report. I’ve experienced firsthand how unique and amazing this industry is...

Conservation

The Chugach Children's Forest is Transforming Lives for Future Generations

December 17, 2015 Carita Chan, U.S. Forest Service, National Forest Systems

“If you were to tell me three years ago that in two years, I would be camping a couple feet away from a glacier and kayaking next to icebergs, I would tell you that you are out of your mind,” said Isabel Azpilcueta. But life takes us in unexpected directions, and that is exactly what Isabel – a...

Forestry

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