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Farm Bill Program Helps Improve Water Quality in the Delaware River Watershed

January 29, 2015 Ann Mills, Deputy Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment

The Delaware River watershed is one of our nation’s most treasured resources. It is home to more than 7 million people and the water supply for more than 15 million in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. An historic new Farm Bill program at USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service...

Conservation

Old Dominion Agriculture by Numbers

January 29, 2015 Herman Ellison, Virginia State Statistician, National Agricultural Statistics Service

The Census of Agriculture is the most complete account of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Every Thursday USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will highlight new Census data and the power of the information to shape the future of American agriculture. Nothing can...

Conservation

Don't Let Bacteria Score a Touchdown at Your Super Bowl Party

January 29, 2015 Jason Waggoner, Food Safety Education Staff, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA

The Super Bowl is one of the most popular sporting events in the United States and the second largest food consumption day. This means there are many opportunities for Americans to come into contact with some nasty bacteria that can cause food poisoning. According to the National Restaurant...

Health and Safety

Big Data Implications for the Production of Official Statistics

January 28, 2015 Mark Harris, Chair of the Agricultural Statistics Board and Director of the Methodology Division, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Unless you live completely off the grid, you likely have heard of, and contribute to, “big data,” the often-used catch phrase describing massive (and ever-increasing) volumes of information stored digitally on computers, servers and clouds. From advertisers using data mined from customer...

Conservation Technology

It's Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month - Head for a National Forest

January 28, 2015 Kristin Merony, National Partnership Office, U.S. Forest Service

A new year means new resolutions and new adventures to embark upon. As many of you sit down to contemplate your goals of the year, I would like to suggest learning to ski or snowboard on national forests. January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month, which means that on many resorts learning now can...

Forestry

Avocados: Helping Draw up the Perfect Recipe for the Big Game

January 28, 2015 Heather Pichelman, Agricultural Marketing Service Fruit and Vegetable Program Promotion and Economics Division Director

The Super Bowl is next Sunday and people are busy making plans for the big game. For many, the most valuable player will be the avocado, which is quickly becoming a fan favorite. In fact, it’s estimated that Americans will consume 120 million pounds or 240 million fresh avocados during the week...

Food and Nutrition

Students Get Schooled by Schools of Fish

January 27, 2015 Damon Thompson, Communications Director, Research, Education, and Economics

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. Schools of fish may be common things to see, but watching some fish school high school students from a basement in Manhattan...

Research and Science

Fresh Food Abounds on a Six Acre Mississippi Farm

January 27, 2015 Judi Craddock, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Mississippi

Hattie Thompson has a heart for growing healthy food for her community thanks to the help of her new seasonal high tunnel. “My mission is to network throughout the local community with other growers who might be interested in doing the same thing, and to teach children and mothers about nutrition,”...

Conservation Food and Nutrition Farming

Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Pays Dividends

January 27, 2015 Kelly Flynn, National Institute of Food and Agriculture

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. A solid education is crucial to those seeking careers in animal science. However, many student loans can be burdensome. But...

Research and Science

USDA Seeks Variety to Help American Agriculture Flourish

January 27, 2015 Ruihong Guo, Agricultural Marketing Service Science and Technology Program Deputy Administrator

While most of the country is braving cold and blustery winter conditions, farmers and gardeners are busy looking ahead to the spring. They are contemplating the variety of seeds or the plants that they will use. The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) increases the options for our farmers...

Research and Science