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U.S. Department of Agriculture

USDA provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, & related issues. www.usda.gov
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Secretary Vilsack expresses gratitude to USDA employees. "It's been an honor and a privilege to have worked with every one of you. This is an amazing Department that does amazing work with an amazing group of people." —Secretary Vilsack
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Did you know our national forests provide about 60 percent of all ski areas in the United States? #Winterishere #HappyHolidays
@nasa employee, Bahe Rock (Navajo/Dine) gave a blessing and sang the “Honor Song” at the 2016 USDA Native American Heritage Month Observance in Washington, DC on Thur. Nov. 17, 2016. The theme of the event was, “Serving Our Nations.”
This week, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS). Through NARMS, USDA, the FDA, and CDC collaborate on everything relating to antimicrobial resistant bacteria in this combined federal surveillance program. So, what is antimicrobial resistance? The use of antibiotics has aided in the development of resistant strains of bacteria. Unfortunately, this development means that some previously treatable forms of bacterial infections are now resistant to the antibiotics that were designed to treat them. It is estimated that the decrease in effectiveness of antibiotics, results in more than two million U.S. cases of antibiotic resistant infections, annually. #AMR #narms #haccp
Rain from the recent passing of #HurricaneMatthew increased the water flow in wetlands, flooding some roadways and farmlands, and is now in the process of receding and flowing under a rural water crossing in Robeson County, in North Carolina. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Soil scientist Gary Bañuelos evaluating canola plants in Oklahoma. The Drying Canola Project tested the feasibility of diversified agricultural opportunities in the region. The two-day process of drying canola in peanut trailers reduced moisture in harvested canola from 30 percent to 6 percent. This will add an estimated $78 per acre of harvested canola to the sale price, which translates to $7.2 million in additional income.
While aerial seeding isn’t new, GPS technology is a new enhancement that makes the practice more efficient and effective. @whittierfarms signed up for aerial cover crop seeding offered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The conservation practice involves a helicopter swooping over corn fields, releasing winter rye seed from a hopper swinging beneath the chopper. It's a very controlled seed application that uses GPS to track the helicopter’s flight path and precisely map where seed was distributed. #modernfarming #aerialseeding
An aerial view from a Coast Guard helicopter shows the flooding and devastation in Baton Rouge, LA. We've added some new online resources to help you. Head to usda.gov and look for Louisiana Flooding Resources on the homepage. Photo by Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Melissa Leake. #louisiana @uscg
How Did We Can? Home canning in the United States made a pronounced appearance during World War I, maintained a steady following through the Great Depression, peaked during World War II, suffered a substantial decline after the war, and has been regaining popularity since the 1970's. Check out the USDA National Agricultural Library's digital exhibit on the evolution of home canning practices. www.nal.usda.gov/ipd/canning #howdidwecan #homecanning
The #FullerFire located on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park near Point Imperial, AZ began on Jun. 29, 2016 and started by a lightning strike. The Fuller Fire has consumed 14,385 acres. Photo by USDA's Forest Service. #wildfire #grandcanyon
Erica Cox holds the flag of Guatemala (her future home), while her father Sean Cox is congratulated along with nine other employees of USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service who were sworn in as Foreign Service Officers. The new officers will begin their Foreign Service careers working as agricultural attachés at U.S. embassies in nine countries and are among approximately 140 FAS Foreign Service Officers who are posted to 93 offices at U.S. diplomatic missions around the world, covering 171 countries.
The summer is upon us once again, and food safety is on the minds of many Americans who are taking their meals outdoors. The United States’ food safety system is composed of a team of thousands of professionals at the federal, state and local levels who work together — largely behind the scenes — to ensure the food on your table is safe to eat. Visit USDA.gov today to see our feature story on USDA's role in ensuring the safety of virtually all foods produced and eaten in America. #foodsafety #usdaresults
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