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KYF2


Agriculture is Smart for Smart Growth

December 12, 2012 Molly Lambert, Vermont/New Hampshire USDA Rural Development state director

“Smart Growth” is a term we hear more and more often. It is the idea that as communities plan for the future, they consider the highest and best use of every resource – land, infrastructure, organizations and people. From housing to transportation to energy to food; community developers and planners...

Food and Nutrition Farming Rural

South Dakota Local Foods Conference Supports South Dakota Producers and Resource Providers

December 07, 2012 South Dakota USDA Rural Development Coordinator Christine Sorensen

The second annual South Dakota Local Foods Conference was held recently to continue the dialogue on local foods among producers, consumers, farmer’s markets, retailers, schools and others. The conference provided attendees from across the state two days of breakout sessions, networking, and...

Food and Nutrition Farming Rural

Innovation Helps Fuel Growth for Winter Farmers Markets

December 05, 2012 Arthur Neal, Deputy Administrator, AMS Transportation and Marketing

This is one of my favorite times of the year. New and old traditions bring friends and family together to celebrate, cheer for their favorite football teams or just to share a hearty meal and some spirited conversations. As the weather gets cooler, my family gravitates toward comfort foods and...

Food and Nutrition Farming

New Jersey School Gardens Offer More Than Just Produce

December 03, 2012 Pam Niesen, Intern, USDA Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

New Jersey Farm to School Network and Edible Jersey Magazine recently awarded their inaugural School Garden of the Year Award to three projects for innovative efforts to connect their school gardens to the cafeteria, curriculum, and community. How fitting that schools in the Garden State are host to...

Food and Nutrition Initiatives

Bringing Federal Partners to the Local Foods Table

November 20, 2012 Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan

Three years ago this fall, Secretary Vilsack and I launched the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative (KYF2). Since then, we’ve seen interest and participation in local and regional food systems grow beyond anything we expected: whether I’m meeting with buffalo ranchers from the Great Plains...

Food and Nutrition

A Thanksgiving Treat--Local Foods for Schools in a Minnesota Community

November 19, 2012 Adam Czech, USDA Minnesota Public Information Officer

On a fall morning in Mrs. Jones’ sixth-grade class in Tracy, Minn., students are learning how to make pumpkin pudding. Instead of using a can opener to pry the lid off cans of pumpkin, a real pumpkin is being used. And not just any real pumpkin, a pumpkin that came straight from a local garden and...

Food and Nutrition Rural

Rural Cooperative Development Support Helps Start Harvest Moon Local Foods Co-op in Minnesota

November 01, 2012 Adam Czech, USDA Minnesota Public Information Officer

Like any new venture, there are a number of obstacles to overcome when starting a local foods cooperative. The fact that people in Long Lake, Minn. chose to start a cooperative during the economic downturn in 2007-08 was just another of those obstacles.

USDA Results Food and Nutrition Farming Rural

Women in Agriculture Teach Others about Value-added Goat Milk Products

October 31, 2012 Siva Sureshwaran, National Institute of Food and Agriculture

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 USDA's rich science and research portfolio. Farmers across the nation are searching for ways to increase farm income. In Alabama, small and limited-resource dairy goat...

Food and Nutrition Farming Research and Science Initiatives

Secretary Vilsack Helps Celebrate Dedication of NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

October 31, 2012 Bill Menner, Iowa Rural Development State Director

In an historic Cedar Rapids, Iowa, neighborhood devastated by floods in 2008, Secretary Tom Vilsack joined local leaders Saturday, October 27 for the dedication of a year-round local foods market. He called it a testament to neighbors and visionary leaders who saw a need for locally-produced foods...

Food and Nutrition Farming Rural

Sowing Seeds of Partnerships to Feed a Community

October 10, 2012 Beverly Moseley, NRCS Ohio

For years, Avon Standard has tilled the soil, planted the seeds and harvested the produce from his community garden with one purpose in mind—to feed people. “My passion is to give and grow,” says Standard of the fruits and vegetables that he provides free to family, friends and the surrounding...

Conservation Food and Nutrition Farming
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