research and science

For the past several years USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has worked on transforming our agency by raising the already high level of service even higher. Today we took the next step in this transformation by creating the new National Operations Center in the Overland, Mo., which is close to the St. Louis metro area.

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from the USDA's rich science and research portfolio.

It’s hard to imagine average Americans of the 1950s and ‘60s walking around carrying bottles of water or worrying about getting to the gym three times a week.  But just as lifestyles have changed over the decades, so have eating styles.  Today’s Americans demand a variety of fresh, convenient, healthy, quick snacks and meals—and USDA scientists made a major contribution to meeting that demand.

USDA science agencies recently joined the National Research Council, Farm Foundation, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and Organic Farming Research Foundation in a symposium to discuss implementing the recommendations of the National Research Council report, “Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21^st Century.”

This post is part of a special series written by students celebrating 4-H’s commitment to science.

What is 4-H? Does 4-H offer youth any opportunities to learn about science? As a very involved eight-year 4-H member, I believe I hold the key to unlocking the answers to these questions.

I went back to school yesterday. And my teachers were fourth graders.

Fourth grade students at Hearst Elementary School in Washington, DC taught me and 200 other students about climate change, water quality and carbon footprints through the 4-H National Science Experiment.  All across the country and world, hundreds of thousands of students were doing the same set of experiments today as part of 4-H National Youth Science Day.  We saw how carbon dioxide builds up in the atmosphere and what its effects can be.  Watching students make connections between their actions and the environment was really exciting for me, and with a sixth grader of my own, it was fun to experience science with these students and get a glimpse of how empowering science can be for these youngsters.

This post is part of a special series written by students celebrating 4-H’s commitment to science.

“Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety- nine, one hu— Whoa watch where you’re going. Can’t a guy do some pushups without being trampled? Let me guess, you’re looking for Carlye? Thought so. Well, she’s at a lamb show. That girl is a 17-year-old livestock lover who spends quite a bit of her free time working, showing animals and just about everything else for Robertson County.

For the third year in a row, hundreds of thousands of youth throughout the country are gathering today to celebrate 4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD) by simultaneously conducting the National Science Experiment.

This post is part of a special series written by students celebrating 4-H’s commitment to science.

My name is Grace Baldwin. I am a high school junior and nine-year 4-H member. 4-H has been a huge part of my life ever since I was very young. Last summer, I had an amazing opportunity to go to Ghana, Africa with my family. While visiting I met a civil engineer who was funded by a grant to work with the local people to teach them about water sanitation. It was then that I became interested in water sanitation and civil engineering.

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from the USDA's rich science and research portfolio.

Exotic animals are a growing problem in Florida. From Burmese pythons to Nile monitors, these animals are invading Florida and destroying the ecosystem. A fast, accurate way to identify the many exotic animals is needed by professionals and volunteers in the field. With over 6.4 million iPhones active in the United States alone, what better solution than an iPhone app?

My name is Luana Xiong. I am 14 years old and part of Merced County 4-H in California. I have been in 4-H for five years. Some of the projects I do in 4-H include photography and arts and crafts, but the one part of 4-H that I absolutely love is science.