USDA Blog

This year, more than 80 volunteers worked together to plant 20 trees, 117 native and edible understory plants, and more than 600 butterfly garden plants as part of the Cesar Chavez Community Garden Day celebration at the Edible Forest garden on the Richmond Greenway, a 2.8-mile trail in Contra Costa...

As a writer and editor for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Washington, D.C. who relies on a bicycle to get around, I don’t get to four-wheel it very often. But I recently had the opportunity to ride a four-wheeler while visiting a North Carolina farm.

The drought of 2012 is the most serious to impact U.S. agriculture since 1988. The illustrations below help to show the resiliency of the U.S. agriculture sector and how it is better positioned today to endure this natural disaster. For more information on USDA disaster and drought assistance, visit...

It goes without saying that broadband-high speed internet has changed the way we live our lives. And it should . . . this is the digital age. For many it is hard to imagine how you would get by without it. With access to the internet, one can easily sell a car, find and apply for a job, read the...

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of participating in a “Women in Agriculture” roundtable in Bailey, Col. The participants were from across the United States with a variety of agricultural backgrounds. Some were just beginning while others had years of experience under their belts. These women...

Summer brings to an end an incredible school year for Union County Middle School students in North Georgia who have been immersed in learning about a famous 2,181 mile-long trail.

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. A national study of 70 land-grant universities found that undergraduate women enrolled in agriculture programs outnumber...

U. S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development, Dallas Tonsager, was in Indiana July 19 and 20, reviewing how the agency’s programs and services are helping create jobs and improve the quality of life in the Hoosier state.

As USDA’s Chief Scientist I oversee a team of world class scientists, economists, statisticians, and support staff working to solve some of the biggest challenges facing us all – a changing climate, uncertain energy sources, rising childhood obesity rates, food insecurity around the globe – and...

Visit www.usda.gov/drought for the latest information regarding USDA’s Drought Disaster response and assistance. During the last week, much-needed rain developed across the northern and eastern Corn Belt and continued in the Southeast, stabilizing or even improving crop and pasture conditions. In...