Author: Site Owner

There are stark differences between Huron, South Dakota, and the Thailand Refugee Camp where the Maung Family started their journey. There are cultural differences, language barriers, and vast contrasts between the way people live and work in these two pinpoints on opposite sides of the globe. The Maung family journeyed from Thailand and have been welcomed into the community of Huron, South Dakota. They are enjoying the American culture and are adjusting well to life in their new community.

It takes strong community partners working together to create thriving communities and improve the quality of life in rural areas. Even though the Maung family has limited knowledge of the English language, that barrier did not prevent them from pursuing the American dream of homeownership through USDA. They worked with a language interpreter to engage several partners that worked together to assist with the application process of becoming new homeowners.

The Maungs received a USDA Rural Development Direct Home Loan packaged through the certified loan packager James Valley Housing, Inc. to finance their home. They were also able to leverage this loan with a $5,000 Grow South Dakota silent mortgage for closing costs. Northeast South Dakota Community Action Program provided financing to James Valley Housing, Inc. to hire a contractor, and Sheets Contracting, a local Huron contractor, built the house.

When I spoke to Nyo Maung during an event we held during Homeownership Month, he said he had been directed to USDA through a friend in the community. Once he heard about us, he worked with another member of his community—who happened to be a certified packager—who helped him pull together all the necessary materials he needed for his application. This is the kind of community I’m proud to serve. I’m so happy the Maungs chose to call South Dakota home.

South Dakota’s rural makeup has been a good fit for folks coming from all walks of life to settle down. Huron has embraced people from many different countries and cultures, and the trend is spreading to other South Dakota communities statewide.

USDA Rural Development is committed to learning about and working with other cultures. And USDA has made great strides in embracing diversity and the cause of civil rights.  We have made major improvements to farm loans that have made it possible for more Americans to get involved in farming and ranching.  To find out more about our progress on civil rights, visit our Results webpage.

Today, because of our programs, more hardworking people like the Maungs have access to affordable homes they can call their own. In this way, USDA is helping to grow a community—one family at a time—in Huron.

They show up early and eager to capture the freshest produce Iowa farmers have to offer.  The Des Moines, Iowa Downtown Farmer’s Market held Saturday mornings from May to October is a success in terms of the variety of fresh produce it offers, the local economic benefits, and in the opportunities it provides for SNAP and WIC clients to utilize their benefits in healthy new ways.

At the start of National Farmers Market Week Aug. 7-14, Angie Tagtow, Executive Director of USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) talked with Kelly Foss, Director of the Des Moines Downtown Farmer’s Market as they toured nine city blocks filled with a massive array of healthy and creative food options.

“There are waves of market goers,” said Tagtow, a longtime Iowa resident and fan of the market.  “The first ones come right at seven and go after the pick of the fresh produce – some own restaurants and want unique items to fill their menus while others just want to feed their families the best in fruits and vegetables.”

From there more than 20,000 people flow through 300 vendors offering produce, flowers, breads, meats, wine, cheese, baked goods and much more.  The diversity comes from producers in dozens of counties across Iowa, according to Foss. The market is celebrating its 41^st year as a Des Moines tradition with the theme “Feed your Soul, Savor the Experience.”

That kind of selection is perfect for SNAP clients who can shop among 27 farmers who accept EBT benefits at the market.  And Iowa is conducting a Double Up Bucks pilot that allows SNAP recipients to get more fruits and vegetables when they spend their SNAP dollars at participating farmer’s markets. WIC clients already can use their vouchers to get more healthy options from more than 140 farmers and 100 roadside stands across Iowa.

“The benefits for everyone who shops for local produce are terrific and the economic benefit to farmers and local businesses has a lasting impact.” said Tagtow.  “It’s a healthy win for everyone involved.”

During National Farmers Market Week and all year long, USDA is offering a new opportunity to connect people with local foods wherever they live.  The CNPP website’s newest component, My Plate, My State, allows people to look up their state to see what is grown in their community.  To learn more, visit:  www.choosemyplate.gov/MyState.

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to Louisiana with my Administrator, Elanor Starmer, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), and visit Southern University and A & M College (Southern), an 1890 Land Grant University and Historically Black College. Located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, LA, the campus covers 512 acres, with an agricultural experimental station on an additional 372-acres just north of the main campus.  It is at this university that AMS began a strong partnership in the mid 1980′s to help establish a Beginning Agricultural Youth Opportunities Unlimited (B.A.Y.O.U.) Program.

BAYOU provides an opportunity for high school students to gain “first hand” knowledge about career opportunities in Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences and related disciplines.  With more than a third of career federal employees projected to be eligible for retirement in 2017, programs like B.A.Y.O.U. cultivate and nurture agricultural professionals for the future.

I was encouraged to hear the survival story of the program, since its beginning, almost 30 years ago.  When the program first began, it thrived for years, producing some of the top agricultural professionals, sending them off to attain postgraduate degrees and work for USDA and the private industry.  However, a time came when the program went dormant and lost the level of support and participation that made it a bright spot for recruiting youth in agriculture on the campus of Southern.

In 2008 and through new leadership, the B.A.Y.O.U. Program was revived and is, again, a beacon for young people looking to find a solid career path in agriculture.  This summer, 29 students participated in B.A.Y.O.U., 11 were graduating seniors.  Out of those 11, all committed to pursue careers in agriculture through Southern University.  That’s outstanding!  And through its support of the program, AMS had a role to play in that success.

Hopefully, some of those students will become future scientists, agricultural economists, policy analysts, or administrators at USDA one day.  Having such diversity represented in our workforce is essential to delivering programs and services in a way that represents and serves all communities.

AMS is committed to developing youth for careers in agriculture, as well as strengthening the partnerships with 1890 Land-Grant Universities.  As we continue to ensure diversity in our workforce and the delivery of our programs and services, we value the relationships that have been established through the USDA-1890 Partnership.

As the largest U.S. food and beverage export market in Southeast Asia and one of the fastest-growing markets in the world, the Philippines is attracting top food franchises. To showcase these new market opportunities, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and U.S. Commercial Service offices in Manila organized a first-ever cooperative marketing event for the country.

Supported by the Philippine Franchise Association and the Hotel and Restaurant Purchasing Managers Association of the Philippines, the event brought together more than 15 importers and 180 key decision makers of U.S. and Philippine-grown food franchises. Not only did the event showcase the availability, quality and uses of U.S. fine foods and beverages, it also linked importers with food franchises and helped them identify market access issues, trends and new trade opportunities.

Food franchises in the Philippines are a major part of daily life. Despite recent price declines in many agricultural commodities and a strong U.S. dollar, export sales of U.S. food and beverage products to the country reached $900 million in 2015, just below the record high $1.1 billion in 2014.

This continued growth in the Philippine food franchise sector is driven by the country’s robust economy, growing disposable income among the upper and middle classes, proliferation of retail shopping centers, steady influx of tourists, rapid growth of the business process outsourcing sector and an increase in the number of women joining the workforce.

U.S. and international chains ranging from Starbucks and McDonalds to Teddy’s Bigger Burger are already widespread in the Philippines. Chains such as Kenny Rogers Roasters and Shakey’s Pizza are experiencing remarkable success in the country.  In addition, the Philippines’ own world class franchises, such as Jollibee, are helping to create a franchise sector unlike anywhere else.

For those in the U.S. food and beverage market, food franchises in the Philippines offer great business potential since they require high-quality products including meats, poultry, seafood, dairy products, processed fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, dried fruits, nuts, wines and craft beers. Events like this showcase in Manila play a key role in bringing together partners who can help introduce new and exciting products to growing markets.

In 2015, USDA launched the answer to President Obama’s Climate Action Plan challenge for food and forestry, with the Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry. Ten building blocks span a range of technologies and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon storage and generate clean renewable energy.  Through the Department’s voluntary and incentive-based conservation and energy programs, USDA and its partners are moving forward to reduce net emissions and enhance carbon sequestration by over 120 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year, or about 2 percent of economy-wide net greenhouse emissions, by 2025. This reduction is the equivalent of taking 25 million cars off the road or offsetting the emissions produced by powering nearly 11 million homes per year.

In keeping with these efforts, USDA too is working to reduce its own carbon footprint.  USDA is proud to be part of the Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program that encourages organizations to use green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with electricity use.  And USDA is even more proud to be recognized as number five on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Top 10 Federal Government list of the largest green power users from the Green Power Partnership. Additionally, USDA is number 43 on the National Top 100 list.

USDA is using more than 169 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, which represents 35 percent of its total power needs. And USDA is generating green power from on-site renewable energy including: solar, wind, biomass, hydro and geothermal systems. Because USDA is using green power to advance the green power market and support clean renewable energy alternatives, USDA becomes more sustainable, while also sending a message to others across the United States that using green power is a sound business decision and an important tool in reducing one’s carbon footprint in the fight against climate change.

According to EPA, USDA’s green power use of more than 169 million kWh is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electricity use of nearly 15,500 average American homes annually.  USDA is leading by example for its green power use and for advancing on-site generation.

Green power is zero-emissions electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, eligible biomass, and low-impact hydro. Using green power helps build demand for the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide and helps users reduce their carbon footprints.

In addition to purchasing green power, USDA employs various other sustainable strategies as part of the Department’s operations and practices; including, using alternative fuels in vehicles, designing and constructing high performance green buildings, green purchasing and promoting the use of biobased products. To learn more about USDA’s sustainable operations, please visit http://greening.usda.gov/.

Currently, this Partnership has more than 1,400 partner organizations that voluntarily use billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500^® companies; small and medium sized businesses; local, state, and federal governments; and colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.

More information about USDA’s efforts and the results for How Food and Forestry Are Adapting to a Changing Climate is available at https://medium.com/usda-results/how-food-and-forestry-are-adapting-to-a-changing-climate-2f5b84bff9c0#.dn5gf01un.

By Lindsay Seventko, American Forests

America’s forests are popular destinations for hikers, joggers and outdoor enthusiasts to get outside and enjoy nature’s beauty. If your standard forest expedition of choice is getting boring, take a walk on the wild side and use one of these ways to explore forests from a completely different perspective.

1. On the Water

There’s something incredibly refreshing about exploring a forest by water. Rivers are the lifeblood of forests, and paddling down a remote waterway is a sure way to see the unique habitat and wildlife of the river’s banks. Whether you’re looking to rest and replenish or get a wild adrenaline rush, there’s the perfect river waiting to be explored. A gently moving current will soothe you and do most of the work in moving your canoe or kayak along, so you can relax and take in the beauty of the forest and water. Conversely, picking a rushing whitewater location will immerse you in the immense power of the natural world as you ride the waves.

2. Under the Stars

Many of the country’s most wild and beautiful forests offer remote campsites, where you can experience sleeping under the night sky with views of the stars unobstructed by city lights, and the sounds of the forest unmasked by the noise of your neighbors. The next time you want to take an extended trip in the great outdoors, avoid the typical campgrounds and head deep within the forest to a remote campsite. The deep stillness of a forest at night, with the smell of the trees and soft sounds of nature, are an unparalleled experience.

3. Zip over Canopy

When you hear about ziplining over a forest canopy, many people think of tropical rainforest expeditions in South America or African safaris, but amazing zip line adventures can be had in forests across the United States. If the thought of human-made structures in the forest bother you, don’t worry! There are many zip lines now that used sustainable construction tactics that don’t harm the existing trees or forest! Zipping through an exciting course is bound to offer a new and exciting perspective on the forest from the air.

4. Go Underground

While people typically traverse no lower than the forest floor, in some places there’s a whole world waiting to be discovered beneath the trees. At Timpanogos Cave National Monument in Utah, mountain lion prints leading through the forest gave away the hidden entrance to a breathtaking cave. Slowly carved over time into massive rooms filled with incredible geological formations, the cave is home to bats and other rare wildlife. Many popular national forest destinations boast similar trails through the forest to well hidden caves and caverns that are filled with fascinating formations, rare geodes and unique wildlife.

5. Ride a Gondola

Some U.S. forests offer a uniquely relaxing way to view the foliage from the seated comfort of a gondola ride. Typically reserved for ski vacations, many locations offer scenic rides year round, allowing you to see the spring blooms and fall foliage from the convenience of an effortless, seated ride up the mountainside.

6. Snowshoe a Winter Wonderland

As winter approaches, many people start spending less time in forests and switch from hiking and walking to more seasonally specific activities like skiing and sledding. But, forests in the cold months truly transform into winter wonderlands. Switch up your winter routine by going for a snowshoe hike. The stillness of the trees, cleanness of unbroken snow and evidence of winter wildlife are a truly unique experience from every other season. If you don’t want to invest in your own gear before you try it, many outdoor recreation and sporting stores offer inexpensive rentals!

7. Bike a Trail

If the thought of mountain biking brings to mind alarming adrenaline-filled races on treacherous paths, don’t worry. There are plenty of easy, well-maintained trails suitable for the beginning biker in local parks and national forests, offering a way to explore more parts of the forest than you could reasonably walk on foot. Forest bike rides offer a fun way for the whole family to get outside, exercise and explore, away from the bustle of suburban roads and with plenty of interesting landscapes to stop and check out as you come across them.

There are countless ways to traverse America’s forests, but whatever your method of choice, switch it up once in a while and see the forest from a whole new light. Share your favorite way to explore a beautiful forest in the comments!

Today with over 7 billion people on Earth, nearly 800 million people struggle with debilitating hunger and malnutrition in every corner of the globe. That’s one in every nine people, with the majority being women and children. Experts tell us we currently produce enough food to feed everyone, so why do so many people go to bed hungry every day? We believe that by making agriculture and nutrition data available, accessible, and usable for unrestricted use worldwide, we will enable the creation of innovative solutions to eliminate hunger.

Poor connections between production and distribution, limited knowledge sharing about what crops grow best where, and incomplete access to information about agricultural markets all contribute to global food insecurity. Agriculture and nutrition data can help.

On September 15-16, in New York City, the first-ever Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) Summit will take place. The United States Government is proud to join our fellow GODAN partners and Summit visionaries, the Governments of Kenya and the United Kingdom along with the ONE Campaign and Presidents United to Solve Hunger (PUSH) in supporting the development of the largest event ever planned for open data in agriculture and nutrition. The GODAN Summit will be productive, educational, and it is going to be fun. Plenary speakers, breakout sessions and a Hackathon will address the GODAN Summit goals to illustrate the opening, the use and the importance of agriculture and nutrition data.

The GODAN initiative seeks to support global efforts to make relevant agricultural and nutrition data available, accessible and usable for unrestricted use worldwide. GODAN brings together more than 330 partners from public, private and non-profit organizations, and national governments to build high-level policy and institutional support for open data. The U.S. is a founding member and active supporter of GODAN. We believe in the importance of opening these data to combat hunger, promote innovation, create economic opportunities, empower farmers and improve the health of all consumers.

Become a GODAN partner today!

In addition to these events, the GODAN Summit will highlight the GODAN Petition hosted by fellow GODAN partner Global Citizen. The petition allows people around the world to join the Open Data Revolution to end global hunger by calling on world leaders to get every government, non-governmental, international and private sector organization to make agriculture and nutrition data available, accessible, and usable.

I will be at the #GODANSummit2016, and hope to see you there, too.  Register today!

At 5’1”, Misha Rosado is a tiny, 16-year-old powerhouse whose least favorite thing is to sit around with nothing to do. So, in addition to school and a part-time job, she donates 60-80 hours each year as an Earth Team Volunteer for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

You may wonder how this bright and very funny teen—whose interests include gymnastics and playing the flute—got involved in the agency. To her, the NRCS staff in Connecticut are like family. They practically are, seeing as how her dad has worked there for 32 years.

Civil Engineering Technician Michael Rosado (the person Misha doesn’t hesitate to name when asked who has been the most influential in her life) began teaching his daughter the ins and outs of his profession when she was very young. She also learned about NRCS by participating in Take our Daughters/Sons to Work Day each year. By the time she was 14, Misha was a full-fledged Earth Teamer. Her superior skills in math, knowledge of surveying with the use of a transit and laser level, and her preference for working with adults has made her the quintessential engineering assistant.

Misha thinks the work NRCS does is both important and fun—especially in the field. She says she loves being outside, as well as meeting landowners on the properties she’s visited.

When asked about a project that she feels was especially satisfying, she takes a minute to flip through the list she keeps in her head—recalling each one by landowner name and town. Her finger points straight up when she’s got the answer. It’s a property she and her dad had been to several times. During the waterway design survey, she and her transit stood ankle deep in muck that was a result of poor drainage in the field. On the final site visit, she got to see that same field looking pristine as a result of the grass-lined waterways that were installed to address excess water. Misha says there is a lot of satisfaction in being able to be a part of an undertaking like that.

It’s something she wishes she could share more of with her peers. She thinks young adults like her would love working with NRCS if they would just give it a try.

But Misha isn’t like every other teenager. She’s light years ahead, with her eye on the future. She dreams of being a criminal lawyer, helping innocent people in need. Until then, she tries not to sweat the small stuff in her life; she’d rather take the bumps and turn them into positive energy toward her volunteer work, and her paid job as an assistant coach at a gymnastics school.

Asked about her philosophy on life, Misha quotes Dr. Seuss:

Be who you are, and say what you feel,

Because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. When you’re Misha Rosado, you don’t have to worry. One chance is all you need. She’s a confident, caring young woman who loves to help people, and right now she’s doing just that—helping people help the land.

Recreational drones or Unmanned Aircraft Systems sometimes called UAS have become increasingly popular in the past few years. While this is an interesting hobby and can allow you to get beautiful aerial photography, some activities pose a significant hazard.

The use of these drones to capture video footage of wildfires is one of those hazardous activities.

The US Forest Service wants you to know that unauthorized drone flights near a wildfire have the very real potential to cause serious injury or even death to firefighters and pilots who are in the air, as well as firefighters and public citizens on the ground. This is because aerial firefighting aircraft, such as airtankers and helicopters, fly at very low altitudes, the same as drones flown by the general public, creating an environment for mid-air collisions.

Adding to this disastrous mix of unauthorized drone flights and fire is the fact that firefighting aircraft typical fly in smoky, windy and turbulent conditions. Safety depends on knowing what other aircraft are operating in the airspace and where they are at all times. Consequently, their safety is compromised by the presence of a drone.

Suspending air operations because of drone use, which has happened several times already on major fires, could decrease the effectiveness of wildfire suppression operations. This year alone there have been at least 13 instances of unauthorized flights of drones over or near wildfires in at least seven states including California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Alaska, Minnesota, and Montana.

The effects of lost aircraft airtime could be compounded by potential flames moving into untreated terrain. This type of delay can allow wildfires to grow larger with the potential to threaten lives and property. Suspended air operations can also delay transportation of firefighters to different locations and add to costs of fighting the fire.

Those who fly drones without authorization over wildfires may be violating federal, state, or local laws, regulations, and ordinances, whether a Temporary Flight Restriction is in place or not.

All unauthorized drone flights over wildfires on National Forest System lands will be reported to the Federal Aviation Administration and law enforcement agencies. Individuals who have been determined to have endangered manned aircraft or people on the ground with a drone or interfered with wildfire suppression may be subject to civil penalties, including fines of up to $25,000, and potentially criminal prosecution.

So please be smart about where and when you choose to fly your drone.  If you fly, we can’t. And if we can’t we are unable to do our jobs to protect you, your family, or your neighbors from a wildfire.

Today, we celebrated National Farmers Market Week at Uptown Market in Greenwood, South Carolina, highlighting USDA support for the local food sector in South Carolina and across the country. Uptown Market Manager, Stephanie Turner, and Greenwood Mayor Welborn Adams joined us in thanking the farmers and vendors, and recognizing the great benefits their market has brought to the local community.  The Uptown Market is a special place for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), with a special connection to my program and work we do.

In 2013, AMS Architect, Fidel Delgado, got involved in providing technical assistance for the design and development of the new Uptown Market pavilion.  We worked with city officials, businesses leaders and local farmers to understand the community needs for the farmers market. The planned site was originally a railroad station and inspired the design that mimics a train station to fit the historic character of the town.  From our visit today, it is clear this market is creating business opportunity and serving as a community resource.

This is one example of how USDA supports partnerships with local food sector to create greater economic impact for rural Americans. AMS provides technical assistance to communities for the construction or remodeling of buildings used as part of a local food system. As an architect who specializes in Wholesale Market and Facility Design, Fidel works with local architects, state agriculture agencies, farmers market associations, wholesale market managers, and local farmers to serve as a technical advisor for design projects.

Local food facilities include ones like the market pavilion in Greenwood or a mixed use facility like we helped design at the Santa Fe Farmers Market in New Mexico. We also work with community leaders building local food systems to design food hub as part of the Wiregrass Growers Marketing Cooperative in Headlands, AL. A food hub facility would provide a centralized location and equipment, allowing growers to operate on a larger scale and maximize profits through the cooperative sharing of a packing and chilling facility. They look to increase the amount of produce available to the “fresh” market, in turn helping the growers to market to large retail stores.

Another project we have been working is a community kitchen as part of the Broadway Market in Buffalo, NY.  AMS developed a commercial kitchen incubator design considering community and local stakeholders needs.  The design includes vendor booths, a food court, wine cellar, and a large open space for community gatherings.  Market vendors, food trucks operators and caters will be able to develop value-added products; immigrants and low-income residents will gain training and experience in food preparation, as well as business and financial management; and the community will have a venue for education on nutrition and healthy food demonstrations.