USDA

This week, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan toured the Main Street of Momence, Il, to view the positive growth made possible by USDA’s investments in rural revitalization. The community was decorated with corn stalks and fall mums to welcome Agriculture Deputy Secretary Merrigan to...

On October 5, it was my great privilege to kick off Rural Development (RD) and the Foreign Agricultural Service’s (FAS) joint celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month at USDA’s Jefferson Auditorium. The theme for this month’s celebration is “Heritage, Diversity, Integrity and Honor: The...

Earthworms can generate tons of nutrient rich droppings, or “casts,” per acre each year on agricultural lands and gardens. And they’re such industrious little diggers that they can literally turn over the entire top six inches of a field in as few as 10 years.

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...

In 2008, Illinois received an unprecedented amount of rainfall, which flooded thousands of acres of agricultural lands. Historically, much of this land was floodplains that held and drained water. But in the past century, over half of the floodplains in Illinois have been altered by levees, lock and...

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...

Each year our agency, USDA’s Economic Research Service, produces a six-page brochure packed with information on social and economic conditions in rural areas of the nation. This information is particularly useful for agencies that develop policies and programs to assist rural areas. We recently...

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...

Jessica Zufolo, deputy administrator for the USDA Rural Utilities Service, was a guest speaker at the 75 th anniversary of the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) celebration in McCook, Nebraska late last month. Also attending were USDA Rural Development Nebraska State Director Maxine Moul...