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Know Your Farmer


Mapping Appalachia's Local Food System: 900 Entrepreneurs At A Time

June 27, 2016 David Glasgow, USDA Office of Communications

The following guest blog by Earl Gohl, Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) highlights some of the innovative work of one of USDA's frequent partners supporting locally-led economic and community development in the 13 state Appalachian region. ARC is a leader in place-based...

Food and Nutrition Farming

Every Family Needs A Farmer

April 21, 2016 Elanor Starmer, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator

Since the beginning of April 2016, USDA has celebrated the success of small and mid-sized farmers in conjunction with local and regional food systems. USDA officially kicked off Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF2) Month by not only announcing a number of new initiatives, but also highlighting...

Food and Nutrition Farming

Helping Organics Grow with Clear Livestock and Poultry Standards

April 07, 2016 Elanor Starmer, AMS Administrator

The mission of the National Organic Program, part of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), is to protect the integrity of USDA organic products in our country and throughout the world. This means clearly defining what it means to be organic and enforcing those rules. Consumers look for and...

Conservation Food and Nutrition Farming

High Five: NIFA Programs Help You to Know Your Farmer/Know Your Food

April 05, 2016 Scott Elliott, National Institute of Food and Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) invests in agricultural research, education, and extension programs that take groundbreaking discoveries from laboratories to farms, communities, and classrooms. These programs enhance the competitiveness of...

Initiatives Conservation Food and Nutrition Farming USDA Results

New GroupGAP Certification Brings New Opportunities for the Produce Industry

April 04, 2016 Charles W. Parrott, Deputy Administrator, Specialty Crops Program Deputy Administrator

Excitement is building in the produce industry. From salad greens to roasted beets to fresh blueberries, local food is showing up on grocery stores shelves, as new features on restaurants menus and on our kids’ school lunch plates. The increased demand for local food is creating more opportunities...

Food and Nutrition Health and Safety Farming

Growing with the Times, Expanded USDA Farmers Market Opens for 20th Season

May 01, 2015 Anne L. Alonzo, Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator

This morning, Secretary Tom Vilsack and I kicked off the 20 th season of the USDA Farmers Market. It was quite a celebration, complete with balloons, ribbon cutting and bell ringing! The market underwent a major redesign and expansion this year to make room for twice as many vendors as we’ve had in...

Food and Nutrition Farming

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Merrigan Visits Vermont’s Brattleboro Food Coop

September 30, 2011 Molly Lambert, USDA Rural Development Vermont/New Hampshire State Director

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of touring the southern part of Vermont with US Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Kathleen Merrigan. On Monday, we went from farm to farm along the Route 9 corridor and met with some of the incredibly courageous farm families who are putting their lives back...

Food and Nutrition Farming

Deputy Secretary Celebrates Opening of a Non-Profit Pennsylvania Kitchen for Use by Food Entrepreneurs

June 17, 2011 Thomas P. Williams, State Director USDA Rural Development, Pennsylvania

Tucked in the back of York’s historic (circa 1754) downtown Central Market, YorKitchen, a shared commercial kitchen incubator officially opened its doors this morning. The crowd of nearly 40 local supporters applauded as Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, York County Economic Development officials...

USDA Results Food and Nutrition Farming

Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan Kicks Off Her 2011 College Tour

February 14, 2011 Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan

Before kicking off this year’s ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ college tour in North Carolina, I took a moment to reflect on why these college visits are so important. As President Obama said in his State of the Union address, we must out-educate the world in order to win the future. Indeed...

Food and Nutrition Farming
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