USDA Press Releases

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, March 19, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and University of Kentucky-Lexington officials today to announce the establishment of the USDA Rural Child Poverty Nutrition Center at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. The Center...

Lexington, KY, March 19, 2015 - USDA Secretary Vilsack today announced an expansion of the USDA StrikeForce Initiative for Rural Growth and Opportunity to address chronic rural poverty in 32 identified counties in Oklahoma and the entire island of Puerto Rico. Today's announcement brings StrikeForce...

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today released the following statement: "On this National Agriculture Day, we acknowledge the impact of American agriculture on our daily lives and our nation's economy. We thank the scientists, conservationists, farmers and ranchers...

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reports that family-owned farms remain the backbone of the agriculture industry. The latest data come from the Census of Agriculture farm typology report and help shine light on the...

Audio WICHITA, Kan., March 16, 2015 - In a speech at the National Farmers Union Convention today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of $96.8 million in grants to fund innovative projects designed to support specialty crop producers, local food entrepreneurs, and farm to...

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today released the following statement after the successful conclusion of the Stakeholder Workshop on Coexistence hosted by North Carolina State University March 12 and 13, and proposed USDA actions discussed by conference participants:...

WASHINGTON, March 11, 2015 – Warm temperatures in February contributed to further snowpack decline in the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, according to data from the third 2015 forecast by the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Snowpack in Nevada...

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of more than $66.5 million in funding for research and extension activities to address the needs of America's specialty crop industry and solve critical organic agricultural production issues. The grants...

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2015 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced additional support for schools working to serve school children healthy meals with the nationwide expansion of the Team Up for School Nutrition Success Initiative. The initiative will provide school nutrition personnel...

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2015 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today issued the following statement: "Today, we celebrate the life of Larry Scanlon. Larry was a fierce advocate for working families. He was a man with a great sense of balance who approached every challenge with equal parts passion and...