USDA Blog

On June 8 th, during the Nutrition for Growth event in London, the United Kingdom and United States governments announced plans to launch the Global Open Data Initiative for Agriculture and Nutrition. This, in turn, built on the G-8 International Conference on Open Data for Agriculture conference in...

Research shows that students with healthful eating patterns tend to do better in school, and it’s important that children begin learning about food and nutrition when they’re young. In support of that goal, the Food and Nutrition Service recently released three free sets of curriculum educators can...

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. Chances are that you—or whoever’s the “grillmaster” at your house—have your own “secret ingredient” for making grilled...

June through September is wildfire season in the United States and on June 18 there were already 16 active major fires consuming more than 102,000 acres. As much damage and destruction these fires cause, even more may be on the way when future rains cause mudslides from soil erosion on barren hills...

Last week Washington DC held a great kickoff event for the summer food service program (SFSP) and I was happy to join in. SFSP is a critical program that keeps kids from going hungry during the summer months and the District is the best out of all the 50 states and territories at getting...

The pictures are poignant: house after house destroyed by a wildland fire. We look at these pictures and wonder if anything could have been done to better protect these homes. Sometimes wildfires are unpredictable. But there are measures homeowners can take that will help lessen the chances a fire...

I began this year by discussing the SNAP Stewardship Solutions Project , our ongoing efforts to further improve Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) integrity. Halfway through the year, we have made significant progress: we are requiring more frequent reviews of higher risk retailers...

Employees of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in South Dakota have a knack for seeing opportunities in the landscape. And recently, two of them initiated a highway beautification and pollinator habitat project. In 2010, Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations Curt...

Cross posted from the White House Blog: This week is National Small Business Week. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), along with agencies across the Obama Administration, are hosting events in five cities. These events provide expert advice, mentoring and explore topics ranging from...

Recently, 1,400 goats reported for duty with the U.S. Forest Service. Their mission: Lend their appetites to the removal of fuels buildup on the Cleveland National Forest. The goats were a part of a 100-acre forest-thinning project that begin in late April to clear a 300-foot community fuel break...