USDA Blog

With degrees in Chinese and political science, advanced credentials in mathematics, and co-authorship of a book titled The ETIM: China's Islamic Militants and the Global Terrorist Threat (and a striking resemblance to actor Bradley Cooper), Jeremy “Todd” Reed sounds like the lead character in a spy...

Imagine going to the grocery store and getting a national forest quarter as your change and holding onto it as a collector’s item. That can happen now because of the recent release of the El Yunque National Forest coin. The coin features the endangered Puerto Rican parrot and the coqui tree frog...

Memories of a good home cooked meal…. Mom’s in the kitchen…Dad’s snatching tidbits when Mom’s back is turned….wonderful aromas wafting from the kitchen. As the family joins together for dinner, the table is laden with scrumptious food, and Mom brings the crowning jewel to the table… a beautiful...

Today’s reality is that Federal budgets are declining and agencies must address the change without sacrificing quality service to the American people. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), as part of USDA’s Blueprint for Stronger Service, is committed to making the best use of...

The Forest Service is now accepting applications for the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program, which encourages the creation of community forests and fosters rural economies. The application deadline is May 15 for submitting applications to the State Forester or equivalent official...

Along Monterey’s Big Sur coast in California, the job of responding to “fire starts” rests on the shoulders of Los Padres National Forest firefighters and their partners at the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade as Monterey County doesn’t have a fire department. When a coastal landowner’s pile burn...

USDA works everyday to help create jobs in rural America – without waiting for others in Washington to act. Last week, as a part of President Obama’s White House Rural Council, we announced efforts to spur economic growth by helping businesses take advantage of the productivity of America’s farmers...

The USDA Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) in Seoul recently launched a Web page to showcase potential opportunities to be created by the soon-to-be-implemented U.S.-Korea Trade Agreement (KORUS). KORUS will take effect on March 15, 2012. The Foreign Agricultural Service recommends that U.S...

After 6 p.m. February 24, USDA’s 2012 Agricultural Outlook Forum speaker presentations will be available online. The Forum, which occurs annually, was a celebration of USDA’s 150 th anniversary, featuring eight former Secretaries of Agriculture discussing the future of agriculture with Secretary...

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with 70 private sector representatives at the first Feed the Future Public-Private Partnership Technical Forum, hosted jointly by USDA, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Department of State at the White House Conference Center. We...