USDA Blog

People all over the country are raising backyard poultry these days. Some raise birds to have a steady supply of fresh eggs, some as part of their commitment to eating locally, some to sell eggs to their friends and neighbors at the local farmers market.

By Roger Beachy, Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Yesterday’s Science Tuesday post about growing tomatoes that last longer on the shelf in the store or on the kitchen counter has generated much really useful discussion about the role of science in growing our food supply. Science...

By Mary Ann McQuinn, Georgia NRCS NRCS joined the Ohoopee Conservation District and the Pine Country Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D) to celebrate and honor Mr. Jim L. Gillis, Jr., -- at 93, the longest serving conservation district board member in the Nation. NRCS Regional...

It was exciting to have Congressman Rick Boucher, 9 th District of Virginia and the Deputy Administrator for USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities programs, Jessica Zufolo join me last week in Hurley, Virginia for an awards ceremony. The event highlighted the funding of three Virginia rural...

The Obama administration has called on Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life to work to improve their communities as part of the United We Serve project. Here at USDA, many of our more than 100,000 employees are doing their part. They are driven to serve, and proud to identify ways to use...

Much of the beauty in American agricultural landscapes is complemented by the trees in those landscapes. We depend on these tree’s products every day–from the paper our children use in school, to many of the fruits we eat, the wood burning in our fireplaces, and the wildlife habitat created by those...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is using simple, secure, and seamless digital services to support achievement of USDA’s diverse mission areas. By partnering with the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), USDA is modernizing the tools and technology that deliver essential services to the...

As we wrap up the harvest season and slide into the holiday season, let's take a moment to thank farmers for our favorite holiday commodities. We also thank farmers for completing their Census of Agriculture and other USDA-NASS surveys that provide data about U.S. agriculture.

For people suffering from addiction, the chances of recovery are oftentimes only as good as the care they receive. And for decades, the Boxwood Recovery Center in Culpeper, Virginia struggled to provide the high-quality care it was capable of, as it operated out of a deteriorating former roadside...

The Pesticide Data Program (PDP), part of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), recently published its 2019 PDP Annual Summary (PDF, 10 MB). This yearly report found that nearly 99 percent of almost 10,000 samples of fresh, frozen and processed foods had pesticide residues below levels set by...