USDA Blog

Increasing participation in the Summer Food Service Program isn’t always easy. There are no silver bullets or magic spells. Being successful also doesn’t require fancy outreach materials that break the bank. The secret, according to the Food Bank of Delaware, is hard work and creativity.

Who would believe that within a year of the restoration of a Lawrence County, Illinois floodplain, two endangered birds could find it? This recently happened when a breeding pair of whooping cranes took a break from their northern migration to enjoy the newly restored wetland.

Several years ago, community members in Bemidji, Minn. realized the need for a dental health facility that would serve underprivileged and at-risk families. In December of 2008, that realization became reality when the doors of the Northern Access Dental Center opened to the public. The Northern...

Los vientos de invierno pueda que aún estén soplando en donde usted vive, pero ya es hora de empezar a pensar en el verano. Cuando haya terminado el año escolar, más de 20 millones de niños que reciben almuerzo (lonche) gratis o a precio reducido durante el año a través del Programa Nacional de...

The winds of winter may still be blowing where you live, but it is already time to start thinking about the summer. When school is finished, over 20 million children who receive free or reduced-price lunch during the school year through USDA’s National School Lunch Program will be in trouble. Less...

My team at the U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station recently completed a study of the District of Columbia’s urban forest using the publicly available, free iTree software suite. Understanding an urban forest's structure, function and value can promote management decisions that will improve...

Cross posted from the Let's Move! blog: We know that to win the future, we have to ensure that our kids have access to nutritious meals and healthy lifestyles. Last September, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Recipes for Healthy Kids competition to bring together chefs, school nutrition...

Dog waste that isn’t cleaned up isn’t just a hazard for the bottom of your shoes—it is also a cause of pollution in creeks, rivers and lakes across the country. Dog waste contains nitrogen and phosphorus, which can deplete oxygen that fish and other water-based life need to survive, as well as...

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the U.S. Department of Agriculture blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from the agency’s rich science and research portfolio. I had it for dinner last night, and I'm sure more than a few of you did as well. For...

Spencer Garvey, a young resident of Milton, Pennsylvania, is looking forward to visiting the children’s library at the new Milton Public Library at Rose Hill, where stakeholders and local officials broke ground last week. By early next year, the historic mansion in the heart of Milton will be...