USDA Blog

Fall is perhaps one of the most beautiful times of the year in North America and every year the U.S. Forest Service celebrates with the launch of our Fall Colors Webpage. The changing myriad of colors on trees from bright reds, brilliant oranges and bold yellows really make for a stunning backdrop...

This past April, we woke up at 3 a.m. and made our way to a blind amid an expanse of sagebrush on a ranch in central Montana. When the sun rose that morning, I saw my first sage grouse--actually, I got to see more than 100 of them!--when the birds arrived at the lek site for their famous tail...

There are many ways Team Nutrition schools are involving students in the development of school meal menus and health promotion activities. These activities can help schools offer nutritious foods in a manner that appeals to children and can help students learn about nutrition and school foodservice...

Rivers rise. The ground is saturated. Levees fail. Floods happen, and they happen beside rivers, along the coasts, in deserts and in city streets. Flooding might be a fact of nature but that does not mean you have to lose your business and possessions to flood waters. It is never too early to...

Organic meat and poultry producers can now use a streamlined process to get approval for labels verifying that their products do not include genetically engineered (GE) ingredients. These products may also now use a “Non-GMO” label claim. Because of this, we’re updating a previous blog from our...

Throughout the course of the year, hired labor makes planting and harvesting of America’s farmland possible. On my family’s Illinois farm, we relied on both paid and unpaid friends and family to bring in our hay. Nearby farmers however relied on seasonal migrant labor to harvest vegetables. Today I...

If you haven’t heard the buzz, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s expansion of the Team Up for School Nutrition Success initiative is in full swing, with 20 completed trainings and 14 more scheduled for 2016. Team Up offers a unique learning experience that enhances schools’ food service...

Open agriculture and nutrition data is a powerful tool for long-term sustainable development. The Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) initiative - comprising more than 350 international organizations representing governments, donors, businesses, and not-for-profits - continues to...

You’ve heard this from us during previous fire seasons, and you’ll continue to hear it from us every fire season: You can never be Fire Wise enough. And, with this being National Preparedness Month, you’re going to hear it a lot. The theme this year for National Preparedness Month is “Don’t Wait...

When you meet farmers Gordon Bednarz and Brenda Sullivan, two words come to mind —polar and opposites. But the pair has joined forces in a unique way – sharing land and growing food as partners, without a formal partnership. And it’s working! He is the owner of Bednarz Farm in his hometown of...