USDA Blog

The 2017 Census of Agriculture results are out, and Maryland shows its diversity, with poultry, an array of crops, vegetables, and floriculture ranking high for a small state. Maryland is small, but it reaches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Appalachian Mountains, providing a suitable environment for...

For more than 15 years, Nutrition.gov has provided consumers with easy access to reliable information on food, healthy eating, food safety and physical activity. The Nutrition.gov team is pleased to announce the launch of a newly designed and enhanced website. Nutrition.gov will now feature a...

Happy Birthday, MyPlate! Eight years ago, MyPlate was introduced as a symbol of the five food groups that serve as the building blocks for healthy eating. This year, we are encouraged to Start Simple with MyPlate, which provides healthy inspiration and tips that are easily incorporated into busy...

Recently, I was privileged to visit The Light House, Inc., in Annapolis, Maryland, a local organization using SNAP Employment and Training and other tools to help people in their community break the cycle of homelessness.

Land managers have a new tool in their firefighting arsenals that models forest fuels in three dimensions. These 3D fuel models have the potential to make firefighting and the management of controlled burns safer and less costly while helping to protect valuable natural resources.

Since 1801, Tennessee’s motto has been “Agriculture and Commerce.” As we see in the latest Census of Agriculture results, our farmers do their part keep our motto alive, with agriculture remaining the number one industry in the state. In 2017, our state’s farmers and ranchers sold more than $3.8...

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently released the results from the 2017 Census of Agriculture (COA). Unlike the annual estimating program, which estimates acreage, yield, production, price and value on major commodities, the COA takes a look at the people who are our...

Earlier this week, I was honored to meet with members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters here at USDA headquarters. These women and men, many with decades of broadcasting and farm experience, are among the familiar voices, faces and bylines we hear and see each day through radio...

It’s a new year at USDA, at least for those of us forecasting agricultural commodity markets. Every May, the World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) in the Office of the Chief Economist releases USDA’s initial projections of the markets for the crops and livestock that will be produced and harvested...

You want to ensure your tax dollars are used properly. So does FNS. That is why we are continually working to improve federal administration and oversight of our programs. We undertake these efforts in order to ensure that resources are spent properly, effectively, efficiently, and as intended. When...