Skip to main content
Skip to main content

#AgInnovates


Partnerships Make "Gouda" on USDA's Commitment to Rural America

December 19, 2014 Anne Alonzo, Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator

’Tis the season for good cheer, holiday festivities and cheese plates. There are seemingly endless varieties to enjoy – Gouda, Blue, Cheddar, Asiago, Feta, Muenster and many more. Hardworking American dairy farmers and cheese artisans make these delicious products. A strong dairy sector not only...

Food and Nutrition

A New Revenue Source for Virginia Farmers Reduces Erosion and Improves Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

December 16, 2014 Kate Zook, Program Analyst, USDA Office of Environmental Markets, Office of the Chief Economist

USDA has a long history of helping farmers, ranchers and forest landowners maintain their bottom line while improving soil health and reducing runoff into streams and rivers. For nearly 80 years, USDA has offered funding and technical assistance for farmers to implement conservation practices...

Conservation

USDA Market News - Enhancing Customer Experience

December 03, 2014 Charles Parrott, Agricultural Marketing Service Fruit and Vegetable Program Deputy Administrator

Farmers, producers and other agricultural stakeholders depend on USDA Market News data to get the information they need when they need it. They use the data to evaluate market conditions and trends, make purchasing decisions, and assess movement of agricultural products across the globe. USDA Market...

Conservation

Kentucky Jail Uses a High Tunnel to Grow Fresh Food

November 26, 2014 Christy Morgan, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Kentucky

Kentucky Jailer Joe Blue is passionate about rehabilitating inmates. Innovative ideas for teaching new skills are always on his mind, which is how the Hopkins County jail’s gardening program was started. The Kentucky jail sits on several acres and has a large farm just across the street. As Blue was...

Conservation Food and Nutrition Farming

USDA, Environmental Protection Agency and Partners: Working Together to Support Water Quality Trading

November 07, 2014 Kate Zook, Program Analyst, USDA Office of Environmental Markets

USDA has a long history of working with partners to meet the needs of America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners while striving to sustain the natural resources we rely on. American farmers produce food for the U.S. and the world, and also provide benefits for air, water and habitats through...

Conservation

Missouri Farmers Bring Agriculture to Local Population

November 07, 2014 Bob Garino, Missouri State Statistician, National Agricultural Statistics Service

The Census of Agriculture is the most complete account of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Every Thursday USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will highlight new Census data and the power of the information to shape the future of American agriculture. Thanks to the...

Conservation

Collier County, Florida, Features Highly Successful Farm to School Program

November 06, 2014 Samantha Benjamin-Kirk, Southeast Regional Office Farm to School Program Specialist

Throughout the Southeast, school districts are coming up with innovative ways to promote farm to school efforts. Farm to school programs engage students, teachers, and communities on the importance of healthier eating habits, local food systems, and provide nutritional education that stimulates the...

Food and Nutrition

Federal Research Jumps from Lab to Marketplace

November 04, 2014 Kim Kaplan, Agricultural Research Service Information Staff

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 innovative network of public- and private-sector groups are working together to transfer federal research out of the lab...

USDA Results Research and Science

Better Service for Rural Renters: Innovative App for Field Employees Streamlines Recordkeeping

October 28, 2014 Tony Hernandez, Administrator, Rural Housing Service

Velma Hansen has lived in Fort Benton, Montana for over 60 years, the last dozen of them at Canyon Villas. The engaging 91-year-old keeps an impeccably clean apartment in the rent-controlled complex financed by USDA Rural Development. As one of our hundreds of multi-family properties across rural...

Rural Technology

Mapping U.S. Agriculture

October 28, 2014 Lee Ebinger, Cartographer, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Agricultural data are valuable for analysis, and thanks to the Census of Agriculture and other surveys, NASS has plenty of data available. As a cartographer, however, I obviously prefer to present the data in map form. A map gives anyone a chance to visualize data for multiple geographic areas as a...

Conservation
Subscribe to #AgInnovates

AskUSDA

One central entry point for you to access information and help from USDA.