June 2009

Last Friday, USDA employees offered a “Healthy Garden" Workshop to teach area residents and visitors about ways to improve soil health in their gardens. The Workshop series will continue every Friday from noon to 12:30 p.m. through September 25, focusing on a different practical gardening skill each week. The events are held outside USDA headquarters at the ‘People’s Garden’ at the corner of 12th and Jefferson Drive SW, across from the National Mall.

On Monday, June 22, 2009, USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, read to children at the Morgan Day Care Center in Silver Spring, MD. The visit was part of President Obama’s “United We Serve” initiative program which is designed make volunteerism and community service part of the daily lives of all Americans and help build a new foundation of service, one community at a time.

Welcome to the United States Department of Agriculture’s new blog, a place where visitors can get the latest news on the work we are doing. Whether we are providing nutrition assistance, maintaining an appropriate safety net for America’s farmers and ranchers, mitigating effects of climate change, conserving our land, managing our forests, or assisting in the creation of renewable energy sources, USDA is an Every Day, Every Way department that touches the lives of every American, every day. So, we have a lot to report.

Secretary Vilsack visited Virginia today with Energy Secretary Steven Chu to discuss the many ways in which saving energy, developing green jobs and pursuing new biofuel alternatives will help to revitalize rural America.