President Barack Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited the McIntosh family farm in Missouri Valley, Iowa, on Monday, August 13, 2012 to view the drought stricken crops. The federal government has already taken some steps to ease farmers whose crops are growing poorly this summer, and the administration plans to spend close to $200 million on livestock, officials announced earlier in the day. The Department of Defense is encouraging vendors to buy meat to ease the crisis. USDA photo by Dave Kosling.

USDA and other federal agencies continue to work to address the long term effects of last summer’s historic drought.

In the wake of a series of regional drought conferences with farmers, ranchers, business owners and other stakeholders, USDA is entering into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Commerce, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to improve sharing of data and expertise, monitoring networks, and drought forecasting efforts.  The MOU is a direct outcome of the regional conferences. Read more »

Former US Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell delivers 2012 Capitol Christmas Tree

Every year, the Forest Service plays an integral role in providing the annual Capitol Christmas Tree, known as “The People’s tree”, from one of the agency’s 155 national forests to bedazzle the U.S. Capitol lawn. This year’s tree, a 73-foot Engleman Spruce, comes from the White River National Forest, in central Colorado.

Have you ever wondered how this tree gets transported from one of our many national forests to the nation’s capital? Read more »

This week, seven Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) employees were sworn in as Foreign Service Officers during a ceremony at USDA in Washington, D.C. This group of newly minted Foreign Service Officers will be posted in locales around the world, from Moscow to Brasilia, in their first positions in USDA’s overseas offices. FAS officers begin their Foreign Service careers as attachés.

FAS Administrator John Brewer officiated the ceremony and was joined by Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Deputy Under Secretary Darci Vetter. In what is their first step in a long and successful career in the Foreign Service, Brewer and Vetter presented each new officer with a flag representing the country in which they will be posted. Read more »

We are proudly in the middle of the eleventh annual National Farmers Market Week as declared by USDA. This year, Secretary Vilsack marked this important milestone with an official Declaration acknowledging the role farmers markets play in stimulating local economies, strengthening communities and supporting farmers.

As part of National Farmers Market Week, we’re also announcing the results of our latest farmers market survey, and the numbers are impressive: 6,100 farmers markets are now operating across the country – a stunning 16% growth from last year!  These markets are bringing folks together in cities, towns, suburbs and rural areas of every state in the nation, and they have on offer the freshest produce, meats, cheese, flowers, breads, and other products from their surrounding farms and ranches. Read more »

Jane Ray was ironing clothes and watching the news when a story inspired her to action. The news story showed First Lady Michelle Obama speaking to employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., telling them about the agency’s People’s Garden initiative. Ray, who grew up in Carthage, Texas, realized she had just heard how she and her sister, Jill Burkindine of Manhattan, Kan., could honor their parents and benefit their hometown community. After the newscast, Ray contacted the USDA in Washington, D.C., to learn how she could establish a People’s Garden. This call led her to Matt Feno, a district conservationist for the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service in Carthage. From Ray’s inspiring moment, has grown a unique People’s Garden national initiative site. It is the only privately owned initiative garden in the world. The sisters own the land where the more than one acre garden is located at the USDA Service Center in Carthage.

Fresh garden produce will benefit Mission Carthage, an organization that works to help families in need. The mission feeds 300 families of four each month from four surrounding counties. Children are a large percentage of individuals receiving food. The garden also will provide an area for the community to learn about gardening, water and soil quality, along with sustainable practices such as capturing rainwater.

Volunteers and NRCS employees have put in months of hard work to make the dream a reality. What began as barren land now has a decorative wooden fence around its borders. Volunteers have planted vegetable seeds and plants in the expansive area. Ornamentals have been planted and bird and butterfly houses dot the fence. Bee hives and water harvesting practices are also part of the garden’s future plans. A groundbreaking ceremony was held recently. Upwards of 100 people braved inclement weather to be a part of the dream.

“It is an example of what the Secretary envisioned,” said Livia Marqués, director of the USDA People’s Garden Initiative, adding that the garden exemplifies the mission of the national initiative, such as incorporating sustainable agriculture practices, while benefiting a community as a whole. She traveled from Washington, D.C., to speak at the event.

Numerous agencies and partners attended the ceremony and continue to volunteer and support the garden effort, such as the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency and Resource Conservation and Development, Texas AgriLife Extension, Soil and Water Conservation District, the City of Carthage, Master Gardeners, Watson Organics and the Carthage Chamber of Commerce.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has recognized the sisters’ efforts. He highlighted their efforts during a video message on the People’s Garden initiative. He said “this story demonstrates the power that gardens have to make a difference in local communities.” The USDA also invited Ray and Feno to speak at its first People’s Garden Summit.

Washington, D.C. is a long way from Carthage, but People’s Gardens share common goals, such as feeding the hungry. From this commitment has grown the sisters’ mission statement for Carthage’s Hometown Garden – “Feeding Our Neighbors One Family at a Time.”

Don Gohmert, state conservationist for NRCS in Texas, who traveled from Temple to speak at the groundbreaking ceremony, commented on the garden’s uniqueness: “This is so much more than just a piece of ground with plants on it.”

Submitted by Beverly Moseley, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, Texas

Along with community members, individuals from numerous agencies and partners instrumental in bringing the garden to fruition attended the groundbreaking ceremony. Some of these included the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency and Resource Conservation and Development, Texas AgriLife Extension, Soil and Water Conservation District, the City of Carthage, Master Gardeners, Watson Organics and the Carthage Chamber of Commerce. Representatives from U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert’s office and the Texas Department of Agriculture also attended.

Jill Burkindine of Manhattan, Kan., and Jane Ray of Carthage, Texas, sisters, own the land where the more than one acre Hometown Garden is located at the USDA Service Center in Carthage. This is a unique garden. It’s a U.S. Department of Agriculture People’s Garden national initiative site. It also is the only privately owned initiative garden in the world.

Matt Feno, left, NRCS district conservationist in Carthage, Texas, Livia Marqués, director of the USDA People’s Garden Initiative and Don Gohmert, NRCS state conservationist for Texas, took advantage of a break in the rain showers.

Along with community members, individuals from numerous agencies and partners instrumental in bringing the garden to fruition attended the groundbreaking ceremony. Some of these included the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency and Resource Conservation and Development, Texas AgriLife Extension, Soil and Water Conservation District, the City of Carthage, Master Gardeners, Watson Organics and the Carthage Chamber of Commerce. Representatives from U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert’s office and the Texas Department of Agriculture also attended.

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