USDA Blog

Written by Darrell J. Mowery, Indiana Public Information Coordinator

By USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan On Friday, I was pleased to be part of unveiling the latest step in the Obama Administration’s strategy for restoring the Chesapeake Bay with the announcement of three Showcase Watershed projects in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. The Showcase...

Cross-posted from the Missoulian.com article, with guest columnist, Tom Vilsack. ------------------------------

Thanks to years of stream restoration efforts on Omak Creek and a recent infusion of $625,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, the Confederated Colville Tribes (CCT) celebrated the return of migrating spring chinook salmon during its annual First Salmon Ceremony on June 18 at...

By Lisa A. Hokholt, NRCS California State Outreach Coordinator California’s Central Valley has long lured farmers to its fertile soil and generous growing season. It’s no surprise that Southeast Asian farmers are settling there too, bringing their farming and culinary cultures with them.

Written by Allen Casey, NRCS Soil Conservationist, Kansas The Manhattan Plant Materials Center (PMC) is recruiting Earth Team volunteers to participate in a butterfly count on July 14, 2010. The count, sponsored by North American Butterfly Association (NABA), will help scientists monitor butterfly...

By Paige Buck, Illinois NRCS The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Illinois is working to get the word out on the new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and encourage signup by landowners who may have heard about the program but are still “on the fence.”

Dick Tremain, NRCS Iowa Amy Plavak of Hillsboro, Oregon, used to lead multi-million dollar projects as a certified professional project manager. Now she is one of 36,000 Earth Team volunteers working to improve the environment and restore wetlands which can clean water, reduce flooding and provide...

Written by Fay Garner, Public Affairs Assistant, NRCS, Alabama

By Michael Jones, Rural Development Public Affairs Director