USDA Blog

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. Since 1801...

Above the sounds of whirring drills and nails being hammered into wood planks, squeals of excitement and oohs and ahhs emanated from Yerington Elementary School students as they filed past the hoop house being built on their way to the lunchroom. March is National Nutrition Month, so it only seems...

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we are highlighting a different leading woman in agriculture each week. This week, we profile Lindsey Lusher Shute, founder and Executive Director of the National Young Farmers Coalition. Lindsey is dedicated to advocating for beginning farmers and helping...

For a community of brook trout in the southern Appalachian mountains, there are signs that the good times are coming back. To some, these native inhabitants might even appear to be waving a welcome home sign. Their numbers almost vanquished, they are as much a cultural emblem of these rugged and...

When Dr. Conrad Estrada became an APHIS Foreign Service Officer (FSO), his goal was to get out of his comfort zone, “not only in the geographic sense, but also on a personal and professional level.” Six years later, the veterinarian admits he got both wishes. Trained in Peru, Estrada earned his...

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. As you can imagine, Census of Agriculture is a virtual data gold mine for an agricultural demographer. And as we celebrate U...

The second in a series of blogs honoring the United Nation’s 2015 International Day of Forests On Saturday, March 21, the U.S. Forest Service will celebrate the United Nation’s International Day of Forests. With such an important worldwide recognition of all forests do for us humans, the Forest...

Staff from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) from Washington, D.C. and Portland, Oregon visited California recently to meet with state officials and farmers and ranchers to discuss how farms and ranches can store carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and potentially benefit...

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. Even though there’s still snow on the ground over much of the country, it’s about time to start thinking about the logistics...

Ramps, these tasty spring ephemerals with the scientific name Allium tricoccum, are generally called ramps in the south and wild leeks in more northern areas. They are native to the hardwood forests of eastern North America. In many areas, ramps are viewed as a sign of the coming of spring and...