USDA Blog

This week I joined Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on a tour of North Carolina and Virginia to assess areas damaged by Hurricane Irene and to discuss ways USDA can help residents recover. Secretary Napolitano and I had the opportunity to see farmland devastated by the...

This month, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is taking part in a “ Cook It Safe” campaign to raise awareness about the need to follow package instructions in order to fully cook pre-prepared foods and prevent foodborne illness. Due to illnesses in recent years resulting from undercooked pre...

Hello, I’m Dr. Jeffrey Nelson. I’m a Veterinary Medical Officer with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). I work in Ames, Iowa at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL). Being a veterinarian runs in my family - my father is a veterinarian for USDA as well. I heard...

In July of 2008, Swan's Island Library and former Old Atlantic Schoolhouse (circa 1903) was struck by lightning. The building and its contents were completely destroyed by fire, and along with it and important community gathering place and a treasured piece of history. Three years to the month after...

For almost 50 years, ProWorks Inc. has provided valuable day services to Minnesota adults living with disabilities. For the last 30 years, ProWorks has counted the USDA as one of its partners. ProWorks started as a pilot project in 1962 in the basement of an old school building in West Central...