Blog del USDA

This week, I traveled to Ottawa to meet with Canadian trade group leaders as well as Gerry Ritz, the minister of agriculture in Canada. As part of these meetings, we discussed agricultural trade issues that both of our countries face and opportunities for collaboration. In between meetings, I had...

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. Has the weather and grain prices been on your mind lately? With the release of the August Crop Production report just...

As I have been discussing Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food with producers and local-food advocates across Iowa, one thing has become quite evident: access to capital is a huge barrier. In fact, at a meeting last month to develop an Iowa Food and Farm Plan that will be presented to the state...

What does it take to create a successful farmers market? Just like a potluck, everyone should bring something to the table. A market manager is needed to help coordinate the market place. A selection of vendors offering a variety of regional products is necessary. Also a strong customer base...

Written by Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Jim Miller During this year’s International Food Aid and Development Conference (IFADC), food security featured prominently as both a major concern and a primary program focus for current and future USDA projects. Each year the...

Written by Sarah Alligood, Health Technician, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion A little over one week remains in the Apps for Healthy Kids voting period, and so far, over 11,500 votes have been tallied. In addition, support for the initiative continues to amplify, with the number of...

We are proudly in the middle of the eleventh annual National Farmers Market Week as declared by USDA. This year, Secretary Vilsack marked this important milestone with an official Declaration acknowledging the role farmers markets play in stimulating local economies, strengthening communities and...

Written by Ann Tutwiler, Coordinator of the Global Food Security Initiative This May, the U.S. government announced the Feed the Future (FTF) initiative to stem global hunger and increase food security, marking a new direction in food aid and assistance. The whole-of-government approach links USDA’s...

Written b y Rayne Pegg, Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service We are proudly in the middle of the eleventh annual National Farmers Market Week as declared by USDA. This year, Secretary Vilsack marked this important milestone with an official Declaration acknowledging the role farmers markets...

By Dick Tremain, NRCS Iowa There’s a little less hunger in St. Louis this summer, thanks to convention-going soil conservationists and scientists. When members of the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) preparing for their annual international conference heard about the national Feds, Farmers...