USDA Blog

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that more than 25 million Americans – almost 8 percent of the population – were affected by major disasters in 2017. From severe flooding in Puerto Rico and Texas to mudslides and wildfires in California, major natural disasters in 2017 cost...

Just as families, friends and communities came together to respond to damages that occurred during the hurricanes of 2017, so did government agencies.

The Winter Olympics begin shortly in South Korea, bringing us two weeks of incredible athletic performances. While many of us will watch the games from our TVs, computers or phones, some lucky individuals will travel to witness the games in person. And when traveling, people often bring back items...

For Josiah Manning, an internship with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) felt like the next step. “I grew up around agriculture,” he explained, “raising my own animals and participating in 4H. Agriculture ran in my blood.” As an intern working in...

I’ve never been much into insects. But there are a handful of insects that give me the same wonder and amazement I imagine those who study insects feel.

Do you feel restless at a job where you look at a computer screen all day? Are you interested in supporting and protecting U.S. agriculture from abroad? Do you have a background in biology, chemistry or another scientific field? If so, consider applying for an overseas position with the Animal and...

Agricultural producers know that the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has programs to assist them when natural disasters strike and commodity prices decline; however, most producers take preventative measures to further protect their operation.

We know you’ve heard it before: seasonal migratory patterns bring an increased risk of disease-carrying birds interacting with commercial or backyard poultry. But the health and safety of our U.S. poultry flock is important enough to make it worth repeating. Birds, particularly waterfowl like ducks...

Last month, researchers, wildlife biologists and managers from several federal, state and local agencies gathered at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ (USFWS) National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center to celebrate a breakthrough in wildlife management— the development of an oral vaccine...

The National Feral Swine Damage Management Program, within the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Wildlife Services (WS) program, has unleashed detector dogs as a new tool to help stop the spread of feral swine, one of the United States’ most destructive and ravenous invasive...