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We’re looking forward to celebrating National Farmers Market Week with markets across the nation, August 7-13! Market managers and organizers can download graphics and templates to create their own celebration materials.

What are you doing August 7 through 13? That’s National Farmers Market Week – a time to celebrate the farmers, ranchers and local food businesses, as well as the communities that support them. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has officially declared August 7 through August 13, 2016 as the 17^th annual National Farmers Market Week, highlighting the key role that farmers markets play in bringing communities together around agriculture. And with more than 8,500 farmers markets around the country, there are lots of opportunities to celebrate!

I will be celebrating that week by visiting markets across the nation, before wrapping up the week at the USDA’s Farmers Market in Washington, D.C., on Friday, August 12. You can celebrate at your local market too! The National Farmers Market Directory makes it convenient to find farmers markets in your area with weekday, weekend, and evening options.

If you’re a market manager, we have resources to help you celebrate. USDA is offering free online National Farmers Market Week graphics and templates to help you customize posters, emails, websites and other promotional materials. Colorful and neutral options are available, along with a farmers market character alphabet available to create fun and creative text.  Customizing materials is easy with the help of a short demonstration video.

We’re not the only ones helping you celebrate. You can access more resources from the Farmers Market Coalition and enter their Farmers Market Poster Contest. You can also check out American Farmland Trust’s farmers market celebration for recognition of your farmers market.

And don’t forget to join the celebration online!  Twitpic your #marketfav—your favorite part of the farmers market—or post a photo on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtags #marketfav and #localiscool.  Follow us on Twitter for updates about National Farmers Market Week and USDA’s local food efforts.

Support for farmers markets is just one element of USDA’s broader work to strengthen local and regional food systems in your community and around the country. This work is coordinated through USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF2) Initiative. You can find local and regional supply chain resources on the newly-revamped KYF2 website and use the KYF2 Compass to locate USDA local food investments in your community.

During the Obama Administration, USDA has invested close to $1 billion in 40,000 local food projects that create opportunities for farmers, ranchers and food businesses and connect consumers with healthy local food options. More information on how these investments support community economic development and many other goals is available in Chapter IV of USDA Results on Medium.

What’s your #marketfav? Is it #myfarmer, #myingredients, #mybaker, #mycommunity? We want to see your farmers market favorites from around the country! We’ll be sharing some of our own as USDA celebrates local food & community on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.

A gypsy moth caterpillar on a leaf in Massachusetts

While being outside in Massachusetts this June, I first noticed it.  A lot of leaves were falling from the trees, only these were chewed leaf parts, not whole leaves.

Similar to the children’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar written by Eric Carle, some leaves didn’t just have chew marks but actual holes going straight through them.  Unlike the children’s book, this damage isn’t being caused by a friendly caterpillar who turns into a butterfly.  Instead it’s the result of ravenous gypsy moth caterpillars feeding…and feeding.  It’s so bad that in some areas, on walkways and roadways, it looks like fall.  Brown, dried up leaves are a contrast to summer’s lush greenery.

What comes along with all the feeding and falling leaf parts?  Caterpillar feces, everywhere.  It too covers walkways and roadways.  And you don’t have to listen hard to hear the feeding, or the leaves and feces dropping.  The chewing is constant and so are the droppings.  It almost sounds like rain falling, continuously.  I regret that I did not take a picture of a car covered with caterpillar feces that I saw at the grocery store this weekend, which looked like it had peppercorns stuck all over it.  Don’t park under a tree, or like everything else, your car will be covered.

Gypsy moth is not everywhere in the United States.  It’s primarily in the northeast to mid-west, and it’s Federal and State agriculture officials’ goal to not let it spread further.  You can do your part to help by finding out if you are in an area that already has gypsy moth, and if you’re not, report any gypsy moth egg masses or caterpillars on trees to Federal or State agriculture officials.  Also, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is asking folks to check for gypsy moth before you move to a new area by inspecting your outdoor household articles (lawn furniture, yard equipment, outdoor toys, etc.) for gypsy moth egg masses and remove them.  It’s not just the right thing to do—it’s also the law. And now it’s easier than ever because APHIS just made its gypsy moth inspection checklist a fillable PDF (page 2 of our gypsy moth factsheet) that can be digitally signed, making it acceptable in all situations where the form is required.

The gypsy moth caterpillars here in Massachusetts are ruining thousands of trees, changing the way the landscape looks.  The crabapple tree I planted two years ago didn’t bloom this year, and it may not survive these gypsy moth caterpillar attacks.  Please help prevent this insect from moving to other areas by visiting www.HungryPests.com to learn more about gypsy moth and other invasive pests we don’t want in the United States.

Gypsy moths can lay their masses on just about any outdoor item—like this lawnmower—which people could move to uninfested areas, accidentally causing great harm.

Find out the latest in forest news in this week’s Forest Digest!

• Biggest ever die-off of ocean forests triggered by warming seas — New Scientist
  Recent discoveries have revealed that more than 100 kilometers of ocean forests along the southern coast of Western Australia have been completely destroyed by rising sea temperatures, and the loss is expected to worsen.
• Bornean orangutan declared ‘critically endangered’ as forests shrink — The Guardian
  The latest assessment published this week by the International Union for Conservation of Nature has now listed the Bornean orangutan as critically endangered, meaning “extremely high risk of extinction in the wild,” due to habitat loss and hunting.
• Understanding forest fire history can help keep forests healthy — Phys.org
  Forest fires can actually play an important role in keeping forests healthy; therefore, it is important to understand the history of forest fires within specific regions, which has been the focus of recent studies looking at tree rings by the University of Missouri.
• California redwood trees sap up more CO2 than others – even after they die — Inhabitat
  A seven-year study published this week analyzed 11 old-growth forests in California to determine their role in carbon sequestration and the fight against climate change, revealing their potential to store more carbon than even tropical forests.

An example of the damage feral swine can have on water quality.

How does the old saying go? That’s right, “Happier than a pig in mud!” Feral swine are no exception to this old farmer’s anecdote. Because they lack sweat glands, wallowing in mud and water is an instinctual behavior necessary for them to maintain a healthy body temperature. Unfortunately this behavior has cascading impacts, not only to water quality in individual streams, ponds, and wetlands, but to entire watersheds and ecosystems.

Excessive feral swine traffic around wallows and water sources causes erosion along stream banks and shorelines. Sounders, or family groups, of feral swine spend large amounts of their day around the wallow, especially in hot weather, which means they leave significant amounts of urine and feces in and around the water. The impacts to water quality go far beyond the immediate wallow site when silt, excrement, and potentially harmful pathogens, are washed down stream.

Water polluted from feral swine wallowing can be contaminated with parasites and bacteria such as giardia, salmonella, and pathogenic E. coli that could be transmitted to humans and other animals. This can happen when feral swine use an agricultural water source, such as an irrigation pond, or if feral swine are active in an area people use for recreation. Contamination can even occur if feral swine use a site upstream in the watershed and rain runoff carries contaminates downstream.  In many watersheds, feral swine damage to water quality, wetlands, and riparian habitats also threatens native wildlife, including threatened and endangered species, which depend on these ecosystems.

The pathogens transmitted by feral swine can sicken livestock, pets, and people. Livestock and pets may become ill by drinking water from streams or ponds contaminated by feral swine. Humans are at risk when swimming or wading in contaminated water, from eating crops in which feral swine have rooted or defecated, or if feral swine have contaminated the irrigation source for the crops. Feral swine are suspected to have played a role in the contamination of surface water and spinach fields in California, causing a food-borne illness outbreak which sickened 205 people and resulted in three deaths.

No matter the water source, feral swine will muddy it. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Feral Swine Damage Management Program has been appropriated $20 million annually to address the management of damage caused by invasive feral swine. The program’s overall goal in the United States and its territories, is to protect agriculture, natural resources, property, animal health, and human health and safety by managing damage caused by feral swine and, where possible, reducing or eliminating feral swine populations. The program works in cooperation with states, tribes, and other federal and international agencies, universities, and other stakeholders to achieve management goals. Visit our website for more information.

For an interactive look at USDA’s work to ensure your food is safe, visit the USDA Results project on Medium.com and read Chapter Seven: Safer Food and Greater Consumer Confidence.

Seafood fettuccini after processing with microwave assisted pasteurization systems (MAPS). Photo courtesy of Sylvia Kantor

July is the height of summer grilling season and throughout the month USDA is highlighting changes made to the U.S. food safety system over the course of this Administration. For an interactive look at USDA’s work to ensure your food is safe, visit the USDA Results project on Medium.com and read Chapter Seven: Safer Food and Greater Consumer Confidence.

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) supports innovative research to address pressing issues. We are looking at the many ways USDA supports safe food this month, including this report from Sylvia Kantor at Washington State University’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences:

Consumer demand for safe, high-quality, additive-free packaged foods is growing. Thanks to two recent investments in innovative food processing technology based on microwave energy, Washington State University (WSU) is advancing toward meeting this demand.

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded WSU $4 million to establish a Center of Excellence that will accelerate the technology transfer to mainstream commercial markets. This is the first Center of Excellence on Food Safety Processing Technologies funded by NIFA’s flagship program, the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.

In addition, the Australian government has announced a $7.2 million investment to adopt microwave assisted thermal sterilization (MATS) technology. WSU and industry partner 915 Labs will provide the system to Australia’s Ministry of Defence.

Both investments will improve ready-to-eat meals for convenience-oriented consumers and soldiers alike.

Microwave-based food processing

MATS and microwave assisted pasteurization systems (MAPS) use a combination of microwave heat and hot water to rapidly heat and briefly hold packaged food at sterilization or pasteurization temperatures and then quickly cool it.

WSU professor Dr. Juming Tang and his research team developed the technologies and processing methods. The MATS/MAPS systems currently operate at several locations around the United States, and major consumer food companies in Singapore and India have recently purchased systems.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acceptance of one MATS food product filed by WSU is paving the way for commercialization in the United States.

Small and midsized food companies

WSU’s Center of Excellence for Food Safety Using Microwave Energy will focus on reducing technical and regulatory hurdles for small and midsized companies to use the novel technologies in production of high-quality, safe, ready-to-eat meals.

Tang expects the technologies will help food companies comply with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and will particularly benefit rural communities, where most small and medium companies are located.

“Typically, small to midsized companies don’t have the expertise and infrastructure to develop and test new technologies themselves,” he said. “This funding allows us to provide hands-on facilities for them to develop their own products using MATS and MAPS.”

Better food for soldiers

Like the U.S. military, which has provided support for Tang’s research, Australia’s military is interested in healthier, better-tasting food options for its troops – as well as other consumers.

“Defence investment in next-generation technologies, such as MATS, will have spill-over effects into other areas of the economy and help create local jobs,” said Marise Payne, Australia’s minister of defence, in a recent press release.

Seafood fettuccini before processing with microwave assisted pasteurization systems (MAPS). Photo courtesy of Sylvia Kantor

By Lindsay Seventko, Communications Intern

Many forest lovers also enjoy nurturing a summer garden, but the two interests often remain distinctly separate. Establishing a sizeable garden typically requires large open areas, which sometimes means clearing the backyard trees to make room. If you’ve been wanting to start or expand your garden without cutting down any trees, use these tips to begin growing luscious ferns, colorful perennials and delicious fresh veggies and herbs, all under the shade of your forested backyard.

Getting Started

Growing close to or under a large, established tree requires hardy plants that do well in shade, that won’t overly compete with the tree for water or nutrients. Most trees, despite how deep their roots may stretch into the earth, still have feeder roots that spread out within the top 1 ½ feet of soil. Thus, digging a deep hole may disturb them. Conversely, spreading thick, additional layers of topsoil, compost or mulch may smother the tree’s roots, not allowing them to receive sufficient amounts of oxygen. Therefore, the section closest to the trunk of the tree should consist of the most shade-tolerant plants that grow in your zone, that ideally are planted while still seedlings.

Be sure to note if your backyard contains black walnut trees and avoid planting under them altogether, as they contain compounds that will poison your plants.

Creating a Barrier

Find the most ornamental and shade-tolerant plants that grow in your zone — think decorative evergreen ferns, shade-tolerant hostas, rhododendrons, ivies and other ground covers — and plant them while still young and small in shallow, lightly compost-lined holes. The number of barrier plants needed will vary based on the species of tree you’re planting under. As a general rule of thumb, the thicker the shade, the wider the section of hardy plants should be between the trunk and more sun-loving flowers or vegetables. Mature pine trees will require very drought-, shade- and acid-tolerant plants under a wide radius of their cover, while oaks will offer more speckled areas of sunshine and absorb less water from the soil, allowing for perennials and vegetables to be planted nearly up to their trunk.

Planting Your Veggies

Once you’ve established some ornamental hardy plants closest to the tree in the driest and most shaded areas, you can begin establishing a vegetable garden that will thrive in partial shade. Root and stalk veggies will do well, such as celery, leeks, onions, asparagus, artichokes, potatoes, rutabagas and most herbs. Lettuces, kale, spinach and other leafy vegetables will also succeed. Remember to water more liberally than you would in a traditional garden, and regularly supplement the soil with thin layers of rich compost.

Any central patches of direct sunlight should be saved for vegetables that grow out of a flower, such as tomatoes, zucchini or eggplant. Intermix the veggies in different patterns; by not planting them in distinct rows, the soil quality will improve and the aesthetic will be of a bounteous wild forest.

Showing off your Garden!

Have you successfully mastered planting under trees? Show off your garden by tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook!

Cassie Munsey, 31, Monticello, Ky., checks in on the bull on her 14-acre beef cattle farm she purchased in 2013. As a new farmer, Munsey appreciates the increased flexibility in USDA programs allowing her to get her operation up and running.

Farmers are unique in that they touch every single American every single day, because we all eat. Ensuring a continuity of agriculture is important to all of us. To take the pulse of U.S. agriculture, we conduct a Census of Agriculture every five years which gives us a comprehensive analysis of agriculture in America and supplements information from more than 400 other surveys we conduct each year.

Our last census was in 2012, and the resulting data showed a decline in the number of new and beginning farmers compared to the previous census in 2007. On top of that decline, we saw the average age of American farmers trending upward to 58 years old. The USDA took these two pieces of information and recognized the need to encourage new and beginning farmers.

One result of analyzing the data and understanding the need to promote new and beginning farmers can be seen in the 2014 Farm Bill. Among other things, it increased the flexibility for USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to offer financial assistance programs to new farmers. Amanda Robertson, one of FSA’s new beginning farmer regional coordinators works in Kentucky and Tennessee. She informs new and beginning farmers that the bill allows for broader application of disaster relief, disaster assistance, commodity insurance, farm start-up loans and agriculture-based loans, such as cattle loans to help them with start-up costs.

All of these programs have foundations in NASS surveys. We conduct more than 400 surveys annually, in addition to the Census of Agriculture every five years, and every response matters to make sure reliable data are available to administer the programs Amanda mentioned and many others. Long-time experts in the field know how important our data is, too.

“There is nothing better than the Census of Agriculture data to represent the small, limited-resource and minority farmer,” said Dr. Marion Simon, Kentucky State University state specialist for small and part-time farmers. “USDA can target its program delivery by understanding how many and where these farms are located. These data have also helped USDA change programs as new trends emerge. The Census of Agriculture is the only way to know many of these small farms are there.”

NASS employees and our National Association for State Departments of Agriculture enumerators work hard to get timely, accurate and useful data that gives a realistic view of agriculture in America.  These surveys ultimately help our farmers in a variety of ways, whether it’s through new and beginning farmer programs, FSA farm payments, crop insurance or agricultural production statistics. We at USDA NASS are working together with producers to keep agriculture in America growing.

Through a USDA-AMS grant, the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets will join Cornell University and Virginia Tech – Eastern Shore to look for ways to improve food safety practices in produce packing houses and processing facilities.

July is the height of summer grilling season and throughout the month USDA is highlighting changes made to the U.S. food safety system over the course of this Administration. For an interactive look at USDA’s work to ensure your food is safe, visit the USDA Results project on Medium.com and read Chapter Seven: Safer Food and Greater Consumer Confidence.

Its summer and specialty crops – fruits, vegetables, tree nuts and dried fruits – fill our plates with color, taste and nutrition.  Consumers are finding their favorite fresh produce in the grocery store or their farmers market.  Other specialty crops like cut flowers and nursery crops lend beauty and interest to our homes and yards. And the growers responsible for the produce are making sure it is safe through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

USDA is working closely with FDA and the specialty crop industry to help address concerns and research needs as they work to implement the produce safety rule.  One resource to help growers address food safety issues is the new Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP), administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). This grant program brings together multi-state teams to research and develop solutions to practical problems that cross State boundaries within the specialty crop industry.

For instance, a grant was awarded to Washington State Department of Agriculture to work with LINC Foods, Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center, Farm Commons, and Rural Roots to increase the use of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) by specialty crop growers and provide them education and resources on FSMAs. Participating in programs like USDA’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) is one way that farmers and producers can demonstrate to buyers and consumers that they are adhering to industry food safety standards.  This project will create a unique opportunity in the region to build the capacity required to increase specialty crop sales with growers and grower organizations in, Washington, Idaho and Montana.

Through another SCMP grant, New York Department of Agriculture and Markets will join Cornell University and Virginia Tech – Eastern Shore to look for ways to improve food safety practices in produce packing houses and processing facilities.  Listeria has emerged as a food safety concern for specialty crops and has been responsible for a number of produce recalls.

This effort will help gain a better understanding of issues to improve control methods. The project will involve field studies in produce packing houses and processing facilities including environmental and genetic sampling. The results will be utilized in creating guidance documents for training and hands-on workshops.  The training provided through this project will support the produce industry in the implementation of scientifically validated “preventive controls” required under the FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule.

In addition to food safety, the SCMP grants will address national and regional issues relating to plant pests and disease, and related topics as well as increase the effectiveness and scope of efforts to market specialty crops.

USDA is dedicated to strengthening rural America and increasing opportunities for specialty crop growers, helping to keep our nation’s economy healthy. The broad range of projects authorized under the SCMP grants will contribute to the long-term success of specialty crop producers and benefit consumers with safe and nutritious food on our plates.