Skip to main content
Skip to main content

USDA Blog


Showing: 1 - 10 of 24 Results
Applied Filters

New Snowpack and Precipitation Normals Now Available

December 14, 2021 Lexi Landers, Hydrologist, National Water and Climate Center

Recently, the Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting (SSWSF) Program published new 30-year hydroclimatic normal values or “normals” for snowpack and precipitation at western U.S. monitoring stations. This information serves as a benchmark for assessing water supply conditions and is used by...

Conservation

Virginia Schools Pilot Offers Food Waste Education

December 13, 2021 Barbara Bowen, Virginia NRCS

Through a unique collaboration with USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, food leftovers from six district schools in Prince William County, Virginia, are now being sorted, bagged, and collected before being mixed with organic yard waste and processed into compost at the...

Conservation

A Tribal College Student’s Path to Leadership

November 30, 2021 Sally Gifford, USDA Office of Communications

Little Priest was the last war chief of the Winnebago Tribe, and the namesake of Little Priest College, one of 35 tribal colleges and universities with land-grant status. Freshman Trey Blackhawk, an enrolled member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, is pursuing a degree there in Environmental...

Equity Initiatives

Celebrating the Special Powers of Bats

October 27, 2021 Jocelyn Benjamin, USDA Public Affairs Specialist

Bats aren’t just hanging around here for the boo’s. They play an irreplaceable role in our ecosystems.

Animals Conservation

Conservation Innovation Grant Creates Market Opportunity for Small Grains in Midwest

October 13, 2021 Lucas Isakowitz, NRCS Presidential Management Fellow

Thanks to the NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) program, a coalition of partners including Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) and Sustainable Food Lab are tackling water quality, soil health and greenhouse gas issues in the Midwest.

Conservation

Microlearning to Yield Big Results for Organic Stakeholders

October 07, 2021 Alexis McInerney, Program Analyst, AMS National Organic Program

Before coming to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), Laura Gallagher worked on farms and with community gardening organizations in the Midwest and Northeast providing training and education. Now Laura helps NOP manage the Organic Integrity Learning Center (OILC) and the Human Capital Capacity...

Farming Initiatives

USDA Community Compost Grant Opens Up Potential to Compost 25% of Landfill Waste in Anchorage, Alaska

October 06, 2021 Tracy Robillard, Public Affairs Specialist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Alaska

The Municipality of Anchorage is the largest urban area in Alaska, with its close to 300,000 residents making up 40 percent of the state’s population. This makes Anchorage a prime area for urban agriculture.

Conservation

A Historical Visit, A Personal Career Highlight, and A Profound Memory: Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic visit to Hanoi, Vietnam

October 06, 2021 APHIS Foreign Service Officer Joseph “Joe” Vukovich

When the embassy is buzzing with the excitement for an event, it’s easy to feel proud of the important contributions our agency is making towards creating a better world. I experienced these feelings of pride and patriotism when I assisted during Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Hanoi, Vietnam...

Initiatives

USDA Reboots Risk Management Education for Underserved Producers

August 02, 2021 Richard Flournoy, Acting Administrator, Risk Management Agency

USDA is committed to improving equity and access to its programs, including Federal crop insurance. This year, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), which oversees the national Federal crop insurance program, will invest nearly $1 million in risk management education projects with trusted partners.

Equity Farming Initiatives

AMS Resources Support Farmers Markets

July 29, 2021 Christina Conell, Deputy Director, Marketing Services Division, Transportation and Marketing Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA

The Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) mission is to create domestic and international marketing opportunities for U.S. producers of food, fiber, and specialty crops. To accomplish this mission, AMS supports farmers markets in four ways.

Coronavirus Farming Initiatives