July 2010

Anyone who has shopped at a farmers market can appreciate the freshness of the food, the interaction with farmers, and the opportunity to learn how the food was produced. As an economist with the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), I’m also interested in what local food systems look like in the United States and how locally grown food products are delivered from farms to consumers.

Written by Kayla Harless, People’s Garden Intern

Almost everyone who gardens grows tomato plants. We are passionate about our tomatoes and savor that ripe, fresh fruit. However, several diseases love our tomato plants just as much as we do. The People’s Garden Workshop topic this week was tomato blights and spots, and Dr. Martin Draper, a plant pathologist through the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, taught us how to identify them and what we can do to treat and prevent them.

Written by Beth Grabau, Public Affairs Specialist, Iowa State FSA

The Woodbury and Monona Count Farm Service Agency Service Centers in Iowa welcomed an unexpected guest on Tuesday as Christie Vilsack — wife of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack — stopped by for a visit.

“It was a real privilege to meet with her,” said Woodbury County Executive Director Bryan Stocking.

By Bobby M. Goode, Tennessee State Director

Access to high speed Internet connections grows more important every day. For businesses in Rural America it can be the difference between success and layoffs.

Now a 60-year old telephone co-op and USDA Rural Development (RD) have teamed up to construct the fastest possible broadband network with fiber optic cable all the way to homes and businesses in three very rural counties on Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau.

By Virginia Manuel, Maine Rural Development State Director

Diabetes, obesity, alcoholism and cancer are health problems that all of America faces, but a study showed that incidents of these problems are higher among Native Americans.  The Aroostook Band of Micmacs are taking action to change those statistics.

By Under Secretary Kevin Concannon, Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services

It is so important to ensure children get enough to eat, especially during summer months when school is out and access to school meals is unavailable.   And that’s why bridging the summer food gap is a high priority at USDA.

By Lori Duff, ARRA Public Affairs Specialist VT/NH

Construction is just beginning on the new Food Venture Center 2, a non-profit kitchen incubator for specialty food producers in Hardwick, Vermont – and Wednesday nearly 50 people, including Sen. Patrick Leahy and USDA Rural Development VT/NH State Director Molly Lambert, showed up to celebrate.

Written by Rick Borchelt

Butterflies are a great barometer of the health of our environment – because they spend part of their lives as caterpillars eating leaves and other vegetation, and part as adults visiting flowers and other food sources, they can be exposed to many contaminants that give us an early warning of problems in the ecosystem.  Butterflies are often used as an early signal that critical habitat is being eroded or lost because many of them are finicky about the kind of habitat they require and have a narrow range of plants they can feed on.

Where does your food come from and how does it get to your plate?  For many Americans this is a question that is becoming more and more difficult to answer as they become further removed from the farm and less connected to agriculture.  The hard work that goes into producing our nation’s food supply is being taken for granted.

We cannot let our children grow up thinking that food comes from a grocery store.  That’s why I started the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative last year.  As outlined in USDA’s new strategic plan, the initiative offers an innovative environment for us all to learn, share, and problem solve together.  Washington doesn’t have all the answers, so I want to invite you to join us in a national conversation.

By Amanda Eamich, USDA Director of Web Communications

Cross-Posted from the White House Open Government Blog

The moment of truth has come. In March, the First Lady challenged the talented and kid-savvy innovators across the country to build games and tools that inspire and empower kids and their parents to get active and eat healthy. Over the past four months, hundreds of students, developers, and entrepreneurs have dreamed up new ideas, teamed up with their peers in game jams across the country, and toiled to build something really special—something that will move the needle on childhood obesity.