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Showing: 5261 - 5270 of 8106 Results

Going Green: Green Roofs and Rain Barrels

July 05, 2012 Elizabeth Wright, USDA People’s Garden Intern

In my first interview I talked about the design and construction of the People’s Garden shed located at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the importance of using reclaimed materials. The shed also includes a variety of environmentally-friendly features such as a green roof and rain barrel...

Conservation Initiatives

History and Research Converge in American Chestnut Reintroduction

July 05, 2012 Jane Hodgins, Public Affairs, U.S. Forest Service/Northern Research Station

You may start out wanting to talk to Leila Pinchot about a Forest Service icon, but the great granddaughter of Gifford Pinchot has much more to say about the future of another legend, the American chestnut. One of the seminal figures in world conservation, Gifford Pinchot founded and served as the...

Conservation Forestry

Opening Doors for Small and Mid-Sized Farmers in National Retail Markets

July 05, 2012 Bruce Summers, Associate Deputy Administrator, AMS Fruit and Vegetable Programs

When buying produce, many consumers note food safety as one of the most important things they consider. Consumers prefer produce backed by trustworthy verified and certified processes. As a result, more retail and foodservice sectors are requiring growers to undergo food safety audits. In an effort...

Health and Safety

Building a home, a community, friendships…and values with USDA RD Self-Help Program

July 05, 2012 Dianna Jennings, special projects coordinator, Arizona Rural Development State Office

“Even decades from now, after we die, our son will remember what we did to give him a home,” said Moises Fonseca in the comfortable living room of his new home. His six-year old son, also named Moises, smiled shyly at his dad.

USDA Results Food and Nutrition Rural

Ask Karen Ranks As Top Ten Best Federal Mobile Apps

July 03, 2012 Bill Bagley, Public Affairs Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service

Last week the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) Mobile Ask Karen app earned high-praise from Government Computer News ( link will take you offsite). The publication gave a tip-of-the-hat to Mobile Ask Karen, ranking it as one of “ The 10 best federal mobile apps.” Mobile Ask Karen...

Health and Safety

To Bee Keep or Not to Bee Keep

July 03, 2012 Mary Conley, Communications Director, USDA Research, Education and Economics

This week, representatives from USDA have been down on the National Mall, staffing hands-on exhibits about food safety, bioenergy and even bees. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have, for years, been studying Colony Collapse disorder (CCD), which has been attacking honey bee colonies...

Initiatives Research and Science

What Anglers Can Do To Fight Invasive Species

July 03, 2012 Dr. Janet Whaley, APHIS Aquaculture Program Manager

Hi, I’m Dr. Janet Whaley, an aquatic veterinarian and avid angler. I guess you could say fish are my passion! I work every day to ensure the continued health of our nation’s fish, so that in my spare time, I can be out on the water with my fishing pole and a camera. Invasive species can spread...

Initiatives Animals Plants

“Ask Karen” Tweets to Reduce Foodborne Illness at Fourth of July Barbecues

July 03, 2012 Catherine Cochran, Public Affairs Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service started its Fourth of July “party” a little early this year, hosting a bilingual Twitter party on June 28 to answer its tweeps’ food safety questions in advance of any gatherings they are hosting. “ Ask Karen,” FSIS’ virtual food safety representative, and...

Health and Safety Food and Nutrition

Celebrate the Red, White, Blue and Orange

July 02, 2012 Lawrence Hawkins, APHIS Public Affairs Specialist, Sacramento, CA

Keep the lemonade flowing this Fourth of July! The stars and stripes and fireworks would not be the same without citrus--iced tea with lemon, key lime pie, lemon chiffon cake, fish with lemon, orange sorbet, lemon-garlic chicken and avocado lime salsa. And, as the temperatures rise, kids across...

Conservation Health and Safety Food and Nutrition

Top Reasons to Shop at a Farmers Market

July 02, 2012 Joyce Hornick, Dietetic Intern and Wendy Wasserman Communications Specialist, USDA

Why shop at a Farmers Market? Access to fresh, locally grown foods, for starters. That may be one of the best reasons, but there are many more. Farmers markets have fruits and vegetables at the peak of the growing season. This means produce is at its freshest and tastes the best. The food is...

Initiatives Food and Nutrition

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