USDA Blog

Yesterday Isabella Pellet held the grand opening for its new facility in Weidman, just a few minutes outside of Mount Pleasant.

The Request for Application for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) is now available, and applications are due by November 22, 2011. Projects will be awarded in 2012 and performed between October 2012 and September 2013. Approximately $19 million is expected to be available...

We know that a healthy nation starts with healthy people. A good diet helps kids stay active and focused at school. And staying healthy can increase your productivity on the job. But sometimes families who want to make healthier eating choices are confused by conflicting messages, or don't have time...

Urban agriculture and gardening can be an important tool in confronting several key challenges that Americans face: from supporting farm viability in and around urban areas to improving access to healthful, affordable food to realizing the potential of rural-urban linkages.

El rostro de Estados Unidos - y de la agricultura estadounidense - está cambiando. El número de granjas en los Estados Unidos ha crecido un 4 por ciento y según los resultados del censo más reciente del Departamento de Agricultura (“U.S. Department of Agriculture” o USDA por sus siglas en inglés) en...

The face of America – and of American agriculture – is changing. The number of farms in the United States has grown 4 percent and the operators of those farms have become more diverse in the past five years, according to results of USDA’s most recent Census of Agriculture. The 2007 Census counted...

How worried should Charlie Brown be? Is there any truth to what some are calling the Great Pumpkin Shortage? After Hurricane Irene pummeled and soaked the Northeast, the media began reporting that damage to the pumpkin crop portended a general shortage of pumpkins for the Halloween season and beyond...

In April 2009, Secretary Vilsack called for a new era in civil rights and directed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR) to help lead a comprehensive effort to improve USDA’s record. That meant correcting errors, learning from past mistakes, and charting a stronger path for...

This week, USDA was recognized at the 3 rd Annual Feds Feed Families Closing Ceremony at the Pentagon. Employees around the country started over 2,000 food drives that led the department to contribute the most pounds per employee of any federal department or agency: almost 15 pounds per employee for...

Hi, I’m Dr. Keith Wiggins, the Director of Veterinary Regulatory Support for USDA APHIS’s Plant Protection and Quarantine program. I’m the leader of an elite, diverse team of 21 veterinarians who safeguard America from animal diseases by regulating animal products, by-products, and regulated garbage...