USDA Blog

Earlier this week, I had the privilege to join members and guests of the Farm Credit Council at their annual meeting in San Diego. It was a great opportunity to see some old friends and make new ones. But it was also a time for me to continue to share the story of how critically important rural...

In the days after the Super Bowl it is not unusual for spectators to “Monday morning quarterback” the advertisements, as well as the plays that were called. For the members of two renewable fuels industries, however, there was no disputing the message of the now famous “God made a farmer” ad...

The Foreign Agricultural Service’s (FAS) Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) in Japan recently released a smart phone optimized version of their business website, us-ato.jp, in conjunction with their “Taste of America” campaign. The optimization was done in response to the increased use of smart...

A passion for agriculture is what brought 50 young farmers to the Washington, D.C., area this week, as part of a national networking forum for the next generation of producers. “We want to let young producers know that their voice is important and they shouldn’t be hesitant or bashful about...

A mid-winter snow storm did not stop more than 200 participants from attending the 7 th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit and Trade Show held January 30 th in Des Moines. During Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager’s presentation it was clear that everyone in attendance was...

The prosperity of American agriculture provides us with a secure and abundant food supply here at home – and tremendous opportunity to export quality U.S. products across the globe. Today, the American brand of agriculture is surging in popularity worldwide. Fiscal years 2009-2012 represent the...