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Wheat Blast, Bangladesh, and Biosecurity: NIFA-Funded Research Works for Global Food Security

May 03, 2016 Dr. Martin Draper, National Program Leader for Plant Pathology, National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Division of Plant Systems-Protection

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. An epidemic of wheat blast is underway in Bangladesh, published reports say, and losses may be substantial in the six...

Food and Nutrition Research and Science

How College Catapults Students to Ag Careers

April 27, 2016 Ann Bartuska, Deputy Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics

Gracie Valdez explains how traveling around the world helped her to want to pursue a career in international agricultural development and trade. Growing up, the question of the day often started with “why” or “how” because I loved discovering things. Though my specific interests morphed from...

Initiatives Research and Science

Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Find One-Stop Shop in Farm Answers

April 27, 2016 Scott Elliott, NIFA Public Affairs

The following guest blog from a web communications coordinator at the University of Minnesota's Center for Farm Financial Management highlights the FarmAnswers.org information clearinghouse for new and beginning farmers and ranchers. Farm Answers is a vital element of the USDA-wide effort to make it...

Initiatives Farming

Transitioning to Organic Certification

April 21, 2016 Betsy Rakola, USDA Organic Policy Advisor

More and more farmers are entering the organic market. Just last year, the number of certified operations in the U.S. grew by almost 12 percent - more than double the growth rate of 2014. So how do farmers, ranchers, and food processors make the transition to organic? We talked to one farming family...

Conservation Food and Nutrition Farming

NIFA Supports Annual Science, Engineering Festival to Spur Future Scientists

April 20, 2016 Carlos J. Harris, National Institute of Food and Agriculture

The link between agriculture, science, and engineering is quite simple. Whether you live in a rural or urban setting, those three components work together to make a more sustainable environment. Thousands of students had the chance to learn about that and more, April 15-17 at the 4 th Annual Science...

Research and Science Technology

Organic Study Uses Domestic Sheep to Facilitate Sustainable Farming

April 20, 2016 Kelly Flynn, National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Environmental and economic management of weeds and pests is a priority for organic farmers and they typically use tillage to address these issues. However, frequent mechanical tillage can reduce soil integrity, which increases costs for farmers and negatively impacts future crop growth. Now, Montana...

Conservation

USDA Engages Public through Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science

April 15, 2016 Samuel Crowell, AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, USDA Office of the Chief Scientist

Recently, USDA participated in the White House launch of the Federal Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science (CCS) Toolkit. By providing federal employees with information about developing CCS activities, the Toolkit will eventually allow the Federal government to design more programs that ask citizens to...

Research and Science Technology

4-H, Be SAFE Helps Develop Youth/Adult Partnerships to Help Prevent Bullying

April 13, 2016 Amy McCune, 4-H National Headquarters, NIFA/USDA, and Karen Pace, Health & Nutrition Institute, Michigan State University Extension

(4-H’ers from across the country, U.S. territories, and Canada are converging on Washington, DC, for the 4-H National Conference, April 9-14. 4-H National Conference is the premier citizenship and civic engagement opportunity for 4-H members. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute...

Initiatives

ARS Helps Veterans Weigh a Career in Agriculture

April 12, 2016 Dennis O'Brien, Public Affairs Specialist, Agricultural Research Service

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. For many veterans, agriculture may be a career choice worth exploring when they return to civilian life. Veterans have...

Farming Research and Science

USDA and MANRRS Help Cultivate the Next Generation of Agricultural Leaders

April 11, 2016 Michelle Landes, Advisor, Agricultural Science Fellow, USDA Office of the Chief Scientist

Recently, the National Society of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) hosted its 31 st National Career Fair and Training Conference. MANRRS is a non-profit organization that promotes academic and professional advancement by empowering minorities in agriculture...

Initiatives Farming
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