USDA Blog

As the peak of the 2009 hurricane season approaches, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is providing recommendations to minimize the chance of foodborne illnesses due to power outages and other problems caused by severe weather.

Secretary Vilsack prepared a message this month describing the purpose and mission of the Peoples' Garden at USDA headquarters in Washington, DC. Here's the first part of the message. Check it out, and be sure to visit the Peoples' Garden web page and Twitter feed. From: Agriculture Secretary Tom...

As you may have seen, it's been a busy week on the Rural Tour. Secretary Vilsack visited Wisconsin last Thursday, Virginia on Saturday, and yesterday met with three other members of the Obama cabinet in St. John's Parish, Louisiana to discuss a broad range of issues facing rural America.

When President Obama announced United We Serve, a summer service initiative to encourage all Americans to reach out in service to their neighbors and communities, he was very clear that the government acting alone can’t pull America through these hard economic times.

Secretary Vilsack just announced an additional $274 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for conservation and restoration projects in our nation's forests. The money will mean more American jobs, better trails and scenery in the forests, and new work to maintain these national...

It's an absolutely beautiful day here in Washington, D.C., and we're setting up to put on the third week of Healthy Garden Workshops. If you're not in town, you can still follow the Peoples' Garden on Twitter, or check back later for a full report on the afternoon fun!

The weather is holding through this afternoon, and the lunchtime crowd in the Peoples' Garden is excited and really interested to see what's happening. Early in the afternoon, the DC Central Kitchen, a student-operated non-profit in the District of Columbia which works to develop and serve organic...

This afternoon, Secretary Vilsack and Education Secretary Arne Duncan met with elementary school students from Arlington, Virginia visiting the Department of Education for the day. The students had the opportunity to learn about the Secretaries' work, and Secretary Vilsack took some time to read...

The Rural Tour is in full swing after eight successful events across America – and everyone is gearing up for a big weekend. Secretary Vilsack is traveling today to La Crosse, Wisconsin alongside Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to discuss economic development for rural America.

Do you want to make your garden the best it can be? Do you want to learn more about how to conserve as much as possible, while cultivating a thriving garden?