USDA Blog

USDA partnered for the first time with Women in Data for the non-governmental organization’s just-concluded Climate Sustainability Datathon, which is a friendly contest for people who really like to work with data.

In June 2013, Secretary Vilsack outlined a vision for agricultural solutions to environmental challenges, which included creating the Regional Climate Hubs. In 2014, the USDA Climate Hubs were established in to serve as regional centers of climate change information and outreach to reduce risks. The...

Emergency responders are an interesting lot. As a culture we recognize and value those who rush toward an emergency while others flee to safety. They work or volunteer as firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical workers, dispatchers and in a variety of support positions. Chances are...

Fifty years after the creation of National Agriculture Day, America’s farmers, ranchers and private forestland owners find themselves on the front lines of climate change. They are uniquely positioned to deliver solutions by implementing climate-smart practices that conserve natural resources, build...

This year, we celebrated Smokey Bear’s 75 th birthday as a national fire prevention icon. Many know Smokey’s message: “Only YOU can prevent wildfires,” but fewer people may know that Smokey was a real American black bear rescued, in the spring of 1950, from a raging wildfire in New Mexico.

Although engineered wood — such as plywood or particle board — is great for a range of building and manufacturing uses, it has its limitations, especially in outdoor applications. One of the biggest limitations is not the wood, but the adhesive used to glue the wood veneers or particles together...

I heard a story once about “horny toads” from my mother. How she used to catch so many they filled a shoebox. And my grandfather told me about the Lobo’s howl. Both of these animals are rare or endangered now and I have not found one myself. I hope one day to tell my own children about the animals I...

Take a closer look next time you get your change, you might get one of the freshly-minted Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness quarters!

A special gift from the Carson National Forest has successfully completed its cross-country journey to Washington, D.C.

A female (hen) wild turkey in front of a male (tom). Photo courtesy of the National Wild Turkey Federation.