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January 2024

Two-Year Anniversary of Customer Experience Executive Order: Pt. 5 Improving Access to Food and Nutrition

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is committed to connecting all Americans with healthy, safe, affordable food sources. Towards fulfilling that commitment, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has launched multiple customer experience (CX) initiatives since President Joe Biden issued in December 2021 the Executive Order directing federal agencies to improve the experience for customers accessing government services and benefits.

USDA 1890 National Scholar Connects Field Work with Academics

Jordyn Ash, a sophomore at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, is a USDA 1890 National Scholar studying plant and soil sciences. Ash applied to the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program during her senior year of high school. She recalls guidance counselors providing excellent summaries of different scholarship opportunities, but she decided that the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program offered the best fit for her career aspirations.

E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Breaks Down Silos

Dr. Kalyani Maitra is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at California State University – Fresno, where she teaches and mentors undergraduate and graduate students. Last summer, she also became an E. Kika De La Garza (EKDLG) Science Fellow.

Two-Year Anniversary of Customer Experience Executive Order: Pt. 4 Partnering with Land Managers and Landowners

Our nation's lands are vital to providing clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, sustainable wood, minerals, energy, jobs and places for Americans to enjoy the outdoors. USDA’s Forest Service is responsible for managing 193 million acres of grasslands and forests. For rural America to thrive, we recognize we must partner with land managers and landowners.

USDA Supports Tribal Communities in Celebrating Their Heritage Through School Meals

What kid doesn’t enjoy eating their favorite dish in the school cafeteria? As a kid, I was always excited when broccoli cheese soup was on my school lunch menu! But, what if the foods that kids eat at home and in their community aren’t served in school? This is a challenge that some children face across the country, especially in schools serving students from the Federally Recognized Tribes and/or Native Hawaiians.

Join us for Tomorrow’s Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Meeting

There’s still time to register for tomorrow’s 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee meeting. The meeting will be livestreamed on January 19, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. Convened jointly by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA), the committee will hear updates from each subcommittee and discuss progress made since the third public meeting. Topics will include protocol development, evidence review and synthesis, draft conclusion statements, and plans for future committee work, including development of the committee’s scientific report. The meeting’s agenda is available on DietaryGuidelines.gov.

2023: A Year in Plant Health

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) closed out another successful year of protecting domestic plants from invasive threats while enabling safe trade. In 2023, APHIS employees inspected at least 2.82 billion pounds of imported crops from 19 countries—a testament to the year-round effort. Collaborating with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the ports, APHIS intercepted more than 109,000 plant pests at our borders.

Hands-on Experience Helps USDA 1890 National Scholar Secure Permanent Position

When Lauren Hawkins graduated from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, she had a job waiting for her. Thanks to her participation in the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program, she was hired right away as an agricultural engineer with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Science (NRCS).