Blog Archives

The silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene hippolyta) is one of two native Oregon butterfly species listed as threatened or endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Once found in coastal headlands from northern California to southern Washington, it has disappeared from all but a handful of grassland sites along the Oregon coast.

Written by Lisa Wallenda Picard, Food Safety and Inspection Service

Last night, USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a recall of frozen ground beef products. Working closely with our partners at California’s Department of Public Health, investigators were able to connect several illness with products sold.  Because E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium, USDA is asking consumers to check their freezer and immediately discard any product that is the subject of this recall.

Written by Ed Curlett, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Are Japanese beetles eating your roses?  Ever hear of the Mediterranean fruit fly?  Is the Emerald Ash Borer infesting your backyard tree?  All of these insects are plant pests from another part of the world, and they can harm you, your garden, our U.S. crops and even fragile ecosystems.

Written By Jessica L. Morrison; USDA Forest Service Conservation Education Intern

As a volunteer intern for the Conservation Education department of the Forest Service, I was not expecting much more than to be cooped up in a cubical somewhere; making copies and filing things away into nonexistence. But almost as soon as I arrived at the agency’s big red building, my supervisor made that wouldn’t happen. Besides getting to weed the USDA’s roof gardens and learning how to pet bumblebees, I was given the opportunity to tag along as the film crew of PollinatorLIVE interviewed the youngest beekeeper in the D.C. area.

Written by Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Jim Miller

During this year’s International Food Aid and Development Conference (IFADC), food security featured prominently as both a major concern and a primary program focus for current and future USDA projects. Each year the IFADC brings together USDA, the U.S. Agency for International Development, private sector companies and voluntary organizations who collaborate throughout the year to provide America’s food aid and assistance to the world’s neediest people. This week I joined USDA and USAID leaders in Kansas City to address this important subject.

Written by Brittini Hawkins, NRCS Public Affairs Intern

Who knew manual labor could be so rewarding? Last week all the NRCS interns went on a student educational tour to Windy Hill Farm on the Corsica River in Centreville, Maryland. The interns worked with the owners, Matt Miller and Beth Wehrle, to plant a living shoreline to maintain the riverbank and decrease soil erosion.

Written by Sarah Alligood, Health Technician, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion

A little over one week remains in the Apps for Healthy Kids voting period, and so far, over 11,500 votes have been tallied. In addition, support for the initiative continues to amplify, with the number of supporters reaching nearly 30,000! Of the 95 games and tools in the application gallery, favorites are beginning to emerge, but there is still time to vote for the apps that you think are most deserving of the $4,500 Popular Choice Awards.

Written by Utah State Director, Dave Conine and Public Information Coordinator Donna Birk

USDA Rural Development-Utah and Bank of Utah recently recognized Azure Elite, Wescor Inc. as “Recovery Act Project of the Year.”  Wescor was honored for its community leadership, vision and success, and its contribution to the mission of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Wescor can trace its roots back to 1966 when a group of fourteen Utah engineer faculty members founded it. Today Wescor is specialized in clinical laboratory equipment.

Around the world, USDA employees continue their commitment to public service as a testament to Abraham Lincoln’s nickname as the “People’s Department.” Yesterday Secretary Tom Vilsack hosted the 62^nd Annual Secretary’s Honors Awards, celebrating employees who went above and beyond the call of duty in support of the Department’s mission.

We are proudly in the middle of the eleventh annual National Farmers Market Week as declared by USDA. This year, Secretary Vilsack marked this important milestone with an official Declaration acknowledging the role farmers markets play in stimulating local economies, strengthening communities and supporting farmers.

As part of National Farmers Market Week, we’re also announcing the results of our latest farmers market survey, and the numbers are impressive: 6,100 farmers markets are now operating across the country – a stunning 16% growth from last year!  These markets are bringing folks together in cities, towns, suburbs and rural areas of every state in the nation, and they have on offer the freshest produce, meats, cheese, flowers, breads, and other products from their surrounding farms and ranches.