Future Scientists Programs to Tackle Future Agricultural Challenges

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Dr. Craig Wilson, Director, USDA Hispanic-Serving Institutions National Program, on September 30, 2014 at 4:30 PM

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

To celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics mission area will highlight those who are making significant contributions to American agriculture.

I am fortunate to have a job that I love where I interact with a wide and diverse audience — from Kindergarten students through adolescents to undergraduates and to adults.  My role as Director of the USDA’s Hispanic Serving Institutions National Program (HSINP) allows me to educate students and communities about all of the opportunities agriculture has to offer.  It’s important that we keep attracting the best and brightest minds to the field to meet the agricultural challenges ahead.

The Future Scientists Program helps USDA’s ninety Agricultural Research Service (ARS) laboratories in America connect with surrounding communities and schools, bringing science teachers into their local research lab for workshops and hands-on, inquiry-based activities.  The program links the teachers with ARS scientists, their local laboratory site and current agricultural science research.  Aligned with the National Science Standards, the program is appropriate for all grade levels, K-12.

The year-long program focuses on helping teachers become more effective in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and inspiring students to continue their studies in science.  Currently focusing on insect life cycles using ARS research on the corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), the program kicks-off with students exploring existing corn earworm research projects designed to help farmers control these destructive pests.  After the two-day introduction, research scientists share their expertise and research projects with the students.  Throughout the year, the Program Director visits the lab to teach and follow-up on the students’ progress.

Recently, I returned to Puerto Rico to support twenty teachers that traveled to the Tropical Agriculture Research Station (TARS) in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to teach budding scientists.  One student was proud to present her research on the corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), presenting an amazing mix of slides and video.  Recognizing her high interests, she gained the opportunity to shadow scientists at TARS for a day to learn more about entomology and plant research as possible career fields. Another teacher’s group of 45 students have become so excited about corn earworm research that they, too, will be offered the chance to spend a day at TARS.

The Future Scientists Program gives students great, real-life experiences and improves their scientific knowledge and skills.  Data from one school district in Texas showed student gains of 18% across 10 campuses on a pre- and post-evaluation.  And at one elementary campus, research showed a narrowing of the achievement gap between white and Hispanic students, and between economically-disadvantaged students.  The ARS research laboratories have become invaluable, educational resources for their communities. The ultimate goal is to develop student STEM potential, and to encourage them to pursue science courses in college and enter the science career pipeline as Future Scientists.

Michigan Farmers Tour Lake Erie, Hear from Water Quality Experts

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Brian Buehler, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Michigan, on September 30, 2014 at 3:30 PM

A research boat operated by Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory, takes a group of Michigan farmers to the research facility on Gibraltar Island on Lake Erie. NRCS photo.

Michigan farmers heard firsthand from experts about the water quality issues facing Lake Erie as well as the importance of conservation work to cleaning water.

A group of 40 farmers from southeast Michigan visited Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island in Lake Erie. The tour was held in late summer, not long after 500,000 people in the Toledo area were forced to spend days without public drinking water.

Toledo’s water supply was determined unsafe because of the presence of microcystin, which is produced by algae blooms caused by phosphorus loading to the lake. Large amounts of nutrients like phosphorous cause algae to grow rapidly; when it dies, it removes oxygen from the water, posing threats to water quality. Toledo draws its drinking water from the part of Lake Erie where large algae blooms have formed in recent years.

Amy Gilhouse, a technician with the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program, coordinated the tour. MAEAP is a voluntary program created by governmental and agricultural organizations that allows farmers to certify that their operations incorporate sound environmental practices.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Michigan Farm Bureau helped fund the tour, and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provided support by sending a local conservationist to share information about available programs.

“Taking people out on Lake Erie to fish was my dad’s passion,” said Gilhouse, who grew up in a family of fisherman. “My mother was one of the first women with a fishing charter captain’s license on the Great Lakes.”

A clean lake is critical for vibrant fisheries, she said. On the tour, farmers not only heard from Kendrick Flowers, a district conservationist with NRCS, but from Jeffrey Reutter, the laboratory’s director, as well. Phosphorous has been a problem in the lake for years, he said.

Reutter said environmental efforts reduced the amount of phosphorus entering the lake by two-thirds, primarily through improved sewage treatment. At the time, most of the phosphorus entering the lake was believed to come from sewage.

Now, fertilizer runoff is one of the main contributors of phosphorus to the lake that triggers algae blooms, he said.

One of the farmers attending the tour was Jerry Heck. Heck farms 700 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat and his field drains go directly to Lake Erie.

He has installed filters strips, practices no-till on most of his land and recently installed water control structures on his field tile outlets utilizing financial assistance from NRCS. Heck also does soil testing and uses variable rate application to reduce his use of fertilizers and lime.

“Even though we’ve been studying Lake Erie for 40 years, there’s a lot we still don’t understand,” Heck said.

Reutter said more research is needed as well as more conservation work needs to be adopted.

“Municipalities, industry and agriculture are all being encouraged to reduce impacts by 40 percent,” Gilhouse said. “Michigan farmers are taking action by moving their farms to MAEAP verification and implementing more conservation practices.”

Just recently, NRCS made available $2 million for farmers in Ohio wanting to plant cover crops, one of the main conservation practices that will help prevent runoff.

Over the past five years, USDA has worked with landowners, community leaders and members of Congress to invest about $46 million targeted to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Just this year, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack designated the Great Lakes Basin as a critical conservation area, or CCA, in the new 2014 Farm Bill Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which will invest an additional $1.2 billion through conservation partnership projects to improve water quality and quantity.

USDA is investing funds to help improve the water quality of Lake Erie. USDA Photo by Garth Clark.

Embracing a New Vision of School Nutrition

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Alan Shannon, Public Affairs Director, Midwest Region, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, and Katherine Elmer-Dewitt, Academy for Global Citizenship, on September 30, 2014 at 2:00 PM

Academy for Global Citizenship students enjoy a healthy lunch.

The following guest blog is part of our Cafeteria Stories series, highlighting the efforts of hard working school nutrition professionals who are dedicated to making the healthy choice the easy choice at schools across the country.  We thank them for sharing their stories!

By Alan Shannon, Public Affairs Director, Midwest Region, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, and Katherine Elmer-Dewitt, Academy for Global Citizenship

As we approach the five-year anniversary of the passage of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, it’s worthwhile to revisit some of the schools that were at the cutting edge of creating healthier school meals. Chicago’s Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC) has been a pioneer in serving healthy, delicious school meals that exceed USDA school meals standards. Just as important, students love them! Integral to AGC’s success is a belief in not only serving positive foods but also in creating a culture that supports wellness. The school’s holistic approach relies on parent engagement, physical education, nutrition education, gardening, and more.

The Academy is a recognized national leader in these areas, so much so that Good Morning America visited it in 2011—just after the Act passed—to highlight its work. I was there for the visit and wrote this blog about it. I’ve been fortunate to visit several times since and am honored to share the blog below, written by AGC’s Katherine Elmer-Dewitt. It tells their story and underscores the importance of healthy school food.

In the Spring of 2009, the Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC) was finishing its first year. One hundred Kindergarteners and 1^st graders and their families gathered to celebrate the year’s growth and share what they had learned. After our first year operating a unique public school model in our little learning laboratory on Chicago’s Southwest side, we were anxious to see the results of our daring experiment. AGC was founded by a group of idealistic young leaders with a vision for a fresh approach to public education, one that acknowledged the needs of the whole student, starting with great food. Food has always been a building block of culture, and our school culture was built around mindful eating. We developed a food program that exemplified the highest standards in school food in partnership with the USDA’s National School Lunch Program.

By the end of their first year, our students had absorbed a tremendous amount of knowledge and, to our great delight, the environmental and global mission of the school. As young as they were, AGC students were already composting, recycling, and collaborating with sister schools around the world. Students demonstrated a basic understanding of the science of nutrition and a powerful empathy for the earth and its people. They were eating well and loving it, no longer associating healthy and nutritious foods with bland flavors or strange textures. Our families also reported eating better at home and understanding more the importance of positive nutrition. The seeds of a healthy community had been planted and we were starting to see the fruits of our labor germinate.

Our organic food program was created as a pilot for the Chicago Public School system and has aspired to be an example of USDA school nutrition standards. Per USDA guidelines, we also developed a wellness policy that reflected our commitment to promoting whole, organic and local foods. We were one of the nation’s first recipients of the HealthierUS School Challenge award, earning a Gold Award of Distinction in recognition of exemplary food and fitness initiatives. We wanted to explore the challenges and rewards of a highly nutritious, organic school program within the National School Lunch Program and encourage scale across the district. While there were certainly challenges, the rewards were remarkable. We saw improvements in our students’ energy, attention, and capacity for learning, accompanied by a growth of 40 percentage points in literacy standards that first year alone.

Since then, we have added a grade level each year to keep up with these young trailblazers. Growing with our students and their families has afforded us a thrilling opportunity to watch the mission of the school blossom through them. Six years later, we are proud to report that our food program is filling bellies and nourishing brains better than ever. Those smiling 1^st graders from 2009 are now strong, healthy and empowered 6^th graders, and they are already taking steps to spread AGC’s culture of wellness beyond the walls of our school.

Following the mission established at our founding, our students are taking action to positively impact their communities and the world beyond, launching recycling campaigns in their homes and communities, composing anti-violence slam poetry, and developing healthy recipes to share with their families. Our students embrace tofu, whole grain pizza and Meatless Mondays as an aspect of their healthy and caring community. At our winter talent show, a 3^rd grade group performed an interpretation of “The 12 Days of Christmas,” that celebrated all things AGC, including “three gardens growing, two chickens clucking, and a big piece of tofu for me.” Exceeding expectations, good food has become the center of a community identity that has developed around and among our students and families.

Academy for Global Citizenship student at work in the school garden.

US Forest Service Tool Fells Trees, Slices Through Massive Logs - and Sings

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Alex Weinberg and Lisa Romano, Olympic National Forest, U.S. Forest Service, on September 30, 2014 at 11:30 AM

The daunting task of removing a fallen tree on the Olympic National Forest is best tackled with a partner. Two Washington Trails Association members work together using a cross-cut saw, which takes special training and a fine touch. (Courtesy Meg MacKenzie/Washington Trails Association)

The crosscut saw, once a symbol for conquering the wild forests of the west in order to provide lumber for America’s cities, now endures as a symbol of wilderness preservation in our national forests.

The crosscut saw reached prominence in the United States between 1880 and 1930, but quickly became obsolete when power saws started being mass produced. The passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964 has helped restore the dying art of primitive tool use by effectively requiring their use in wilderness trail maintenance.

In order to protect the wilderness character of our special places, the Wilderness Act limits the types of activities that are permitted within designated wilderness areas. With few exceptions, mechanical transport and motorized equipment are two categories of use that were deemed contrary to the nature of wilderness under the act. Such restrictions create unique challenges for managers and volunteers charged with maintaining wilderness trails, who must rely on primitive skills in order to accomplish their goals. All heavy equipment must be hauled in by hand or packed in using stock, all log bridges must be set in place with sheer strength or human-powered rigging, and all log cutting must be performed without the aid of power saws, typically using a crosscut saw.

In contrast to the cacophony produced by a chainsaw, a well-tuned crosscut saw operated by experienced sawyers creates a harmony that is more attuned to a wilderness setting. The sound a crosscut saw produces when slicing through a piece of timber is akin to a metallic hum, which is why crosscut saws are often referred to as the “saws that sing.” This is no accident, and depends just as much on a well-maintained saw as it does on the training of the sawyers who operate it.

A volunteer with the Washington Trails Association uses a cross-cut saw to clear fallen timber from a trail on the Olympic National Forest in Washington State. Volunteers use the saws even though their use is not required outside of a wilderness area. However, the association sees any use of the saws as an opportunity for training. (Courtesy Meg MacKenzie/Washington Trails Association)

Unlike chainsaws that require ear protection during use, crosscut saws allow sawyers the ability to communicate while sawing to ensure the saw runs smoothly. Good communication and planning, combined with a properly tuned saw, work in concert to create a clean cut. And when it’s really running smoothly the blade sings against the grain.

Saw sharpening and maintenance is an art – so specialized that only a handful of individuals exist on the Olympic Peninsula that are capable of properly tuning the old saws that keep Wilderness trails open and safe for all users.

One such individual, Tom Mix, a volunteer with the Backcountry Horsemen, trains and certifies sawyers including Forest Service employees. He is also one of those few skilled tuners, keeping alive the practice that is a vital aspect of maintaining these 4- to 10-foot saws.

The type of material that the original crosscut saws were made of—high carbon tempered steel—is no longer manufactured. This makes it even more important to maintain the old saws that still exist.

“It’s a lost art,” Mix says.

But he is doing his best to train others in the venerable art of crosscut saw use and maintenance, a primitive craft that continues to reverberate within the boundaries of your Olympic National Forest Wilderness areas.

This wilderness protects our special wild places and it protects a piece of our cultural heritage, those skills that frontiersmen and women used to shape their home on this wild peninsula. And it protects an old voice, the one that sings of history and hard labor in these woods.

The local group of saw filers is so exclusive that Mix says, “I can look at a saw and tell who filed it.”

This crosscut saw has a lance tooth pattern, which for years was the standard for felling and bucking timber in the American West. The lance tooth pattern is best suited for cutting soft green timber, especially fire, spruce and redwood. Crosscut saws vary in size, style and shape and are used in lieu of a power saw, which are prohibited in wilderness areas. All saws, regardless of the tooth pattern, are made up of two rows of cutting edges. The saw releases wood fibers on each side of the cut as it passes through a log. (Courtesy Meg MacKenzie/Washington Trails Association)

The Easy Way to Find Local Food - USDA Launches New Local Food Directories

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Anne L. Alonzo, Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator, on September 30, 2014 at 10:30 AM

Christy (left) and Lilah Talbott of Richmond, VA came to the Fall Line Farms pick-up point, a food hub that offers a wide variety of household food staples and specialty items. USDA’s new food hub directory will help connect schools, hospitals and restaurants across the U.S. with food from local farms and vendors.

What a great time of year to visit your local farmers market! From root crops such as beets, carrots and radishes to salad greens like Swiss chard, lettuce and spinach—farmers markets are full of fresh ingredients that you can use in your favorite fall recipes. My agency, the Agricultural Marketing Service, maintains the USDA’s National Farmers Market Directory, where you can search for local markets and discover where to get your squashes, pumpkins, pears and apples. There are over 8,200 farmers markets listed with their locations, operating hours and other details, providing a simple and easy way for consumers and producers around the country to find each other.

Local and regional food systems, including farmers markets, are one of USDA’s four key pillars to revitalize rural economies and improve access to fresh, healthy food for millions of Americans. Last month, I announced that AMS was building three new local food directories for food hubs, community-supported agriculture operations and on-farm markets. I asked local food enterprises to go online and list the details of their businesses in the new directories—and they responded!

From beets to carrots to radishes, it's a great time to visit your local farmers market. You can find a market near you by searching the USDA's National Farmers Market Directory.

We are thrilled to now have all four USDA Local Food Directories available online and ahead of schedule!  These valuable online tools give potential customers, business partners and community planners easy, one-stop access to the most current information about sources of local foods.

• USDA’s National Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Enterprise Directory – A CSA is a farm or network of multiple farms that offers consumers regular deliveries of locally-grown farm products during harvest season on a subscription or membership basis.
• USDA’s National Food Hub Directory – A Food Hub is a business that actively manages the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of food products to multiple buyers from multiple producers, to strengthen the ability of these producers to satisfy local and regional wholesale, retail, and institutional demand.
• USDA’s National On-Farm Market Directory – An On-Farm Market is a farm market managed by a single farm operator that sells agricultural products directly to consumers from a location on their farm property or on property adjacent to that farm.
• USDA’s National Farmers Market Directory – Farmers markets feature two or more farm vendors selling agricultural products directly to customers at a common, recurrent physical location.

These free, online directories include locations, directions, operating times, and product offerings. The data are collected through voluntary self-reporting by listed businesses and are searchable by zip code, product mix, and other criteria. The Farmers Market Directory gets about two million hits annually.  We hope that USDA’s new directories will be equally popular as we continue to support local and regional food systems.

Much of this work is coordinated across USDA by the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative. AMS invests in projects like these to contribute to the livelihoods of our farmers and ranchers and strengthen the connections between rural and urban communities.

Pictured here are several weeks’ worth of deliveries from a CSA in Colorado. A CSA is a farm or network of multiple farms that offers consumers regular deliveries of locally-grown farm products during harvest season on a subscription or membership basis. USDA’s new CSA directory will help consumers connect with CSAs and other local food sources more easily. Photo courtesy DIY wine dine home garden.

What's going on inside a baby's mind? - YouTube

Video (6:43)



What's going on inside a baby's mind? - YouTube

Soil Health Brought to Life on Lawn of USDA's Whitten Building

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Sarah Haymaker, Natural Resources Conservation Service, on September 29, 2014 at 1:00 PM

Oklahoma Conservation Commission Soil Scientist Greg Scott talks about the practical benefits of best soil management practices during NRCS’ soil health demonstration earlier this month. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Recently, I watched Jason Weller, chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, (NRCS) provide testimony on the benefits of soil health during a House Agriculture Committee hearing. After the Chief’s impassioned testimony, I met with the crew setting up the rainfall simulator demonstration on the lawn of the USDA’s Whitten Building.

I couldn’t help but hope that the “Bundled Benefits of Soil Health” event would effectively illustrate what Chief Weller had only hours earlier discussed with lawmakers. Before long, the audience began to assemble and people passing by from the National Mall stopped to watch as a cowboy from Oklahoma, Greg Scott, a retired NRCS soil scientist and Chris Lawrence, NRCS cropland agronomist in Virginia, delivered the event’s soil health message.

I had only seen this demonstration delivered to rural farmers and ranchers and wondered how this would translate to a more urban audience. I looked at the piles of soil on the demonstration tables and the silent rainfall simulator and wondered: “Will the audience get it?”

As Chris and Greg began talking about the soil, they spoke of soil as a living, breathing organism and that we, as casual observers, may not be able to discern the micro-ecosystem before us. To demonstrate, they used two soil samples that were visually similar in color, texture and type and invited the Chief up to the table to closely observe these two seemingly similar soil samples.

Chris told the crowd that one was healthy, had more organic matter, more living organisms and more pore space. The other had been tilled and left bare season after season. He told us about the structural differences and asked the Chief to help demonstrate these differences.

As the Chief dropped the healthy soil into a large column of water, the healthy soil floated! This wasn’t some small piece of soil. This chunk of soil took both hands for the Chief to lift and place in the water column. And when he dropped what was called the abused soil into the next water column, it immediately dispersed and turned the entire volume of water the same rust red color of the clay-based soil sample still left on the table.

Chris Lawrence (right), NRCS cropland agronomist in Virginia, gives NRCS Assistant Chief Kirk Hanlin a hands-on experience with healthy soil. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

The crowd grew as Greg continued to explain that not only are we responsible for conserving soil, we are also in the business of restoring soil and do so following the tenants of soil health. Then the moment we had all been waiting for – they made the tabletop simulator rain.

The rain simulator has five trays. Four trays held samples of the same soil type, but each sample had been managed differently. The samples represented:

• healthy, reduced tillage system;
• diverse healthy vegetation system;
• abused clean-tilled soils from a cropland site; and
• abused soils from a heavily overgrazed pasture.

The fifth tray held pavement. All five samples can be found within the watershed that encompasses Washington, D.C., wherein potential runoff can find its way to the Chesapeake Bay.

As the rain began to fall, the surface runoff collection jars had the attention of the entire audience. Chris and Greg had cleverly treated the tray representing the pavement with an unnoticeable green dye.

In less than two minutes, the collection jar was overflowing with green water that looked like antifreeze. Although not as quickly, but still at an alarming rate, the jars collecting surface runoff from the bare crop and overgrazed pasture soils filled with muddy water.  Greg and Chris reminded us that this contaminated water would eventually work its way to the Chesapeake Bay – if it were happening in an actual rain event and not in the simulator.

In stark contrast, when the rain ended, the jars with the crop residue covered soil and the healthy, well-vegetated pasture had very little water and the water that was there was essentially clear in appearance.

In an even more impressive display, Chris flipped the front panel of the table down to reveal that all along, they had also been collecting in separate jars the water that was being absorbed and moving through the different soil profiles.

With no surprise, the jar from the pavement was completely empty. But as the presenters revealed the jars from the bare and overgrazed soils, there was audible chatter in the audience. There was no water in those jars either! Impressively, the jars collecting the infiltrating water from the healthy crop and pasture soils were just as full as the surface runoff jars from the abused sites.

Even though this event did not garner the “oohs” and “ahhs” of a large fireworks display, it was just as beautiful from the vantage point of a conservationist like me. And, it certainly inspired a lot of conversation during and after the event among the audience members. The event’s visual impact of the capabilities of a healthy soil to protect our Nation’s water quality was inspiring.

Although I had seen the demonstrations before in a rural setting, I now have a greater appreciation for the power of the rainfall simulator and our employees that use it to convey their passion about the power of soil health to all persons, urban or rural.  The health of the soil affects us all. I am grateful for those that carry and show us the message. The power of healthy soils is undeniable.

The aggregate stability comparison display uses two clear, water-filled pipes to demonstrate the structural stability of a healthy soil that has organic matter from cover crops and aeration created by worms and roots, versus soil that is mechanically tilled on a regular basis and falls apart in water. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

USDA Marks 50th Anniversary of the Job Corps

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Meryl Harrell, Chief of Staff, Natural Resources and Environment, on September 26, 2014 at 3:00 PM

Daniel Stevenson, carpentry student of the Collbran Job Corps Center shows Tom Tidwell, Chief, U.S. Forest Service a map he created of the 28 Job Corps Centers in the United States at the 50th Anniversary of the Job Corp Civilian Conservation Centers celebration at the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC, Wed. Sept. 17, 2014. The U.S. Forest Service operates the Job Corps Civilian Conservation Corps, the Nation’s largest residential, educational and career technical training program for young Americans. USDA photo by Bob Nichols.

Fifty years ago, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Economic Opportunity Act.  This Act, part of the government effort to wipe out poverty, created the Job Corps program, which has had a positive effect on countless young lives, giving them a chance to break multi-generational cycles of poverty, get an education, and find jobs in the federal and private sectors, and in the military.  The U.S. Forest Service works closely with the Department of Labor to operate Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers (Job Corps CCCs) around the country.

Last week, dignitaries including Deputy Under Secretary Butch Blazer, Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, and Tina Terrell, Forest Service National Director of the Job Corps, along with colleagues from the Department of Labor, came together in Washington at USDA’s Whitten Building to mark the anniversary.

As Chief of Staff for Natural Resources and Environment here at USDA, I am a passionate advocate for this program. Not only does it change families, it allows students to practice conservation on public lands and it also creates a trained group of firefighters to battle wildfire. In the previous two fiscal years, Job Corps CCC students accomplished more than 500,000 hours of service work on public lands. This year, we connected nearly 1,500 of our Job Corps students to training opportunities as part of the 21^st Century Civilian Conservation Corps (21CSC).

In addition to work on public lands, Job Corps CCC students also work on projects that contribute to their local community. During the anniversary event, Deputy Under Secretary Butch Blazer, who grew up on the Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico, spoke of the profound difference that was made when one of America’s first Job Corps centers came to his reservation. “We learned a lot, and it added to the diversity of our community.” He talked about how the Center and others like it produced success and gave students hope for the future.

Chief Tidwell thanked everyone, but especially the students, past and present. He acknowledged the partnership forged with the U.S. Department of Labor and commented that during the summer of 1964 passage of the Economic Opportunity Act, the Wilderness Act and the Civil Rights Act made history in America.  As important as the last 50 years have been, the Chief said, this is “a moment in history, a time to reflect and celebrate, but also a time to dream of what is next.”

National Director Tina Terrell, born in Philadelphia, said that the Job Corps allows students access to the path she took, going from a life where all she knew about trees was “that they were in my back yard” to a fulfilling career with the Forest Service. “The future is up to you,” she said, “Culinary arts, Rural Development, Farm Service Agency, or an avenue for you if you want to work in the Forest Service.”

She said it best: “After 50 years, it is all about love of nature, love of the land, and helping young folks. Fifty years down, and now on to the next 50.”

Turkeys

Tribal Youth Celebrate New, Safe Place to Learn

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Jasper Schneider, North Dakota State Director, USDA Rural Development, on September 26, 2014 at 11:00 AM

Students help break ground on their future Head Start building.

“In the Dakota language, there is no word for ‘child’ or ‘children.’ Instead, there is ‘wakanyeja,’ which means ‘sacred little ones,’” reported a local newspaper. The importance of that future generation was evident on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation in North Dakota as we broke ground for a new Head Start facility. This was a special project to me as it embodies so well what we do at USDA Rural Development.

President Obama’s recent visit to North Dakota highlighted our tribal areas and opportunities for native youth. This project aligns with the President’s vision as well as being a strong validation of Secretary Vilsack’s StrikeForce initiative. The Secretary’s leadership has allowed us to further identify issues in areas of persistently high poverty, which cultivated the ensuing meetings that helped make this project a reality.

Scattered across the tribal reservation, currently 11 Head Start classrooms are housed in mobile trailers that are no less than 30 years old. The rooms are in need of great repair and one was recently condemned due to air quality issues. With one kitchen preparing the children’s meals, buses are used to deliver the food to all the Head Start locations.

Recognizing that the system is inefficient and that the children need a safe and healthy environment to learn, Cankdeska Cikana Community College is utilizing the USDA Community Facilities loan program leveraged with a Head Start grant to construct the new building. The project will bring all of the Head Start classrooms under one roof as the facility will accommodate up to 175 children, ranging from infants to 6-year-olds.

I’ve always believed that the best investments we can make as a society are the ones that benefit our children – our wakanyeja – now and for the little sacred ones generations to come.

Nation's Museums and Libraries Feed Minds and Bodies this Summer

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Tony Craddock, Jr., Program Analyst, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, on September 26, 2014 at 10:00 AM

While providing children with nutritious meals is the top priority of USDA’s summer meal programs, activity programming is also important for healthy kids.

Libraries remain a part of the fiber of American communities, with over 123,000 operating across the nation.  And in states like Idaho, libraries provided children with more than just books!  For the second straight year, the Idaho Commission for Libraries teamed up with AmeriCorps VISTAs and local summer meal sites to offer “Literacy in the Park”, a program to bring fun educational activities to existingSummer Food Service Program meal sites.

They say “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it”!  But “Literacy in the Park” proved that you can certainly add to it!  Julie Armstrong from the Commission for Libraries said, “We thought, if kids are already at the parks eating, let’s offer them literacy activities along with those meals.”  Ten AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers from the Idaho Foodbank assisted with literacy programs at different Boise sites, each sponsored by the Idaho Foodbank and the Oasis Food Center.

The AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate Program supports USDA’s effort to ensure children do not go hungry during summer months, but they also want to make sure kids don’t lose ground when they return to class in the fall.  USDA has partnered with the Corporation for National and Community Service for four years to strategically place VISTAs in areas of need, where great programs like “Literacy in the Park” make a difference in children’s lives.

Museums can play important roles as well.  FNS partners with the Institute of Museum and Library Services to feed minds and bodies during the summer.  In fact, there are more than 35,000 museums in the United States, so the opportunities Idaho leveraged with libraries are possible with museums.  So not only can museums and libraries support existing sites, they can become sites themselves!

FNS continues to encourage partnerships between the Institute of Museum and Library Services, VISTAs and the Summer Food Service Program… And now you can do the same!

India's Mars mission cost less than 'Gravity' movie - Sep. 25, 2014

When the Mangalyaan spacecraft slipped into orbit around Mars on Wednesday after a 10-month voyage, India became the first country to successfully reach the Red Planet on its first attempt.

But the mission's shoestring budget was perhaps its most notable distinction: At a cost of just $74 million, India's space agency put the satellite into orbit for a fraction of what other nations have spent.

India's Mars mission cost less than 'Gravity' movie - Sep. 25, 2014

USDA Blog » The Cafeteria is the Biggest Classroom in the School

Mount Desert Elementary School (MDES) is a small school with a big vision, located on Mount Desert Island off the coast of Maine. Here we strive to promote a healthy lifestyle for our students through physical activity and nutrition education.

The cafeteria is the biggest classroom in the school where students are taught to make healthy choices for themselves beginning in kindergarten. Students progress each day through a fruit-and-vegetable bar and an entrée station. Along this route they choose the nutritious and appealing foods they need to build a balanced meal according to the new school meal standards issued by USDA. Many of our entrée offerings are multinational, which is a great way to introduce students to nutritional foods from a variety of cultures. By empowering students in the cafeteria, they learn to make healthy choices for life.

USDA Blog » The Cafeteria is the Biggest Classroom in the School

USDA Blog » Did YOU Know that the USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program Helps Families Affected by Disasters?

September is National Preparedness Month, a time to evaluate the many ways that we can prepare our families and communities before, during, and after a disaster or emergency. Whether they come in the form of a hurricane, earthquake or drought, being prepared is the best defense against long-term, negative impacts. One of the ways USDA supports disaster victims is by supplying food for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). These purchases not only help those unfortunate enough to be affected by the disaster, they also put to use the abundance of foods produced by American farmers and processors.

Through our Commodity Procurement Program, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) makes purchases for household federal food programs like TEFAP. Some of the food that supplies this program, which is administered by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), comes from the AMS bonus buy program.

USDA Blog » Did YOU Know that the USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program Helps Families Affected by Disasters?

Stolen Jaguar returned to owner 46 years later - Sep. 23, 2014

After 46 years, Ivan Schneider's prized possession, a 1967 convertible Jaguar XKE, is returning to its rightful owner.

Schneider was 36 and a young New York trial attorney when he bought the brand new 1967 convertible Jaguar for $5,000 as a treat to himself for winning a big case. He had it less than a year when it was stolen during the middle of the night from outside his Manhattan apartment in March 1968.

Stolen Jaguar returned to owner 46 years later - Sep. 23, 2014

USDA Blog » HACU Empowers the Next Generation

Have you ever dreamed of having a beautiful, picturesque landscape as your “office” environment?  Ever thought of learning the full spectrum of a potential career in public service?  Students working with USDA’s Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) National Internship Program have that chance.



USDA Blog » HACU Empowers the Next Generation

USDA Blog » Do YOU Have a Plan to Keep Food Safe during Severe Weather?

USDA Blog » Do YOU Have a Plan to Keep Food Safe during Severe Weather?

USDA Blog » Farming is a Business

The new Farm Bill has created many new tools and resources for beginning farmers and ranchers – and questions about which programs are right for their operations.

That is why I took to Google+ this month to talk about how the new Farm Bill can help new and beginning farmers and ranchers.

USDA Blog » Farming is a Business

Big Help for Small Producers

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Charles Parrott, AMS Fruit and Vegetable Program Deputy Administrator and Craig A. Morris, AMS Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program Deputy Administrator, on September 22, 2014 at 2:00 PM

A USDA pilot program is helping small producers reach more retail markets by making Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification more accessible and affordable. Under the pilot, cooperatives, food hubs and other groups of small producers can pool resources to implement food safety training programs, perform internal inspections and share the cost of GAP certification.

For their communities, small farmers are anything but small. Their contributions are quite large – not only do they provide food for local residents – they also create jobs and economic opportunities.  However, retailer requirements and the cost of marketing can make it difficult for small producers to scale up and reach larger markets. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is working to remove those barriers by offering a number of services that help small and local producers grow and sustain their businesses.

In the produce industry, more and more retailers require suppliers to have Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification, which verifies that the operation is following industry-recognized food safety practices and recommendations from the Food and Drug Administration.  For small farmers, getting GAP certified can be difficult and expensive. To help offset some of these costs, the AMS Specialty Crops Inspection Division and Transportation and Marketing Program are partnering with the Wallace Center at Winrock International to implement a Group GAP Pilot Project.

The pilot offers cooperatives, food hubs and other marketing organizations a way to work collectively to undergo GAP certification as a group. This allows groups of small producers to pool resources to implement food safety training programs and share the cost of certification.

Under the pilot, participants develop and implement their own quality management systems (QMS) and food safety programs based on internal inspections of their members and verification by USDA-licensed auditors.  Five groups across the country are taking part in the pilot:  Upper Peninsula Food Hub, Michigan; Organic Valley, Wisconsin; Lake Country Community Development, Montana; ELANCO School District, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; and Good Natured Family Farms, Missouri.

AMS trains participants and works with individuals and groups to provide resources as they prepare for certification. To foster further communication among participants, AMS also created a website that allows participants to collaborate on the design of their QMS.  If the pilot effectively enhances market opportunities for these small producers, we will consider expanding the program nationwide.

Another new AMS program that is making a big difference for small producers is the USDA Grass Fed Program for Small and Very Small Producers. This program was designed as a verification tool for producers.  It allows them to market their cattle and sheep as USDA certified grass-fed, thereby increasing the animals’ market value and creating new economic opportunities for the producers.

Cascade Brook Farm in New Hampshire, owned and operated by Ed and Cindy Canane, was the first operation to be certified under the program.  The Cananes proudly raise 100 percent grass-fed, humanely-raised, Black Angus cattle at the farm. Ed and Cindy are thrilled with the new program.  “We are a direct seller and have always admired the USDA’s Grass Fed Certification Program. But as a small producer, the application costs were prohibitive for us. We could not believe it when AMS came out with this program!  It is perfectly suited for us—and thousands of others like us across the U.S. And they made the process streamlined and extremely cost-effective for small producers,” they said.

USDA and AMS are committed to creating opportunities for producers of all sizes. If you are a producer interested in the Grass Fed Program for Small and Very Small Producers, be sure to check out materials from our recent webinar. If you are a specialty crop producer, visit our website to learn how our services can help you reach larger markets.

Conservation Groups, Farmers Protect & Restore Precious Puget Sound Estuary

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Kirk Hanlin, Assistant Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, on September 22, 2014 at 10:00 AM

NRCS Assistant Chief Kirk Hanlin and Kate Kuhlman from Great Peninsula Conservancy discuss the progress of the Klingel Wetlands Restoration, while getting a first-hand look at the area.

When many people think of Washington State, they imagine rain, coffee and apples. My view is much more complex and nuanced, thanks to our team at NRCS who showed me diverse agricultural landscapes, including the state’s major estuary – Puget Sound.

During my visit, I was greeted by an idyllic landscape steeped in history. Early settlers to the Puget Sound area converted marshlands into pastures and hayfields. We visited one such area now known as Klingel Wetlands, where levee systems were installed in the 1890s and 1950s to prevent flooding.

These man-made structures converted the wetlands to an area that could be farmed marginally, but damaged the shoreline habitat and upset the delicate biological and chemical processes unique to the salt marsh estuary of Puget Sound on which many fish and wildlife depend.

The vibrancy and complexity of the Puget Sound makes it especially fragile. Protecting the Sound not only protects wildlife habitat, but also a $20 billion annual economy and hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Estuaries, like Puget Sound, are where freshwater and saltwater meet. Plants, fish, and animals adapt to this unique environment that includes saltwater, nutrients carried on tides from the ocean, and sediment and nutrients from freshwater streams.

This week, NRCS and partners are celebrating National Estuaries Week by highlighting some of the efforts to improve health of estuaries, including the work of landowners, organizations and communities in the Puget Sound area.

One of these impressive efforts is by the Great Peninsula Conservancy, which worked with NRCS to set up a permanent easement through the former Wetlands Reserve Program for this area in 2003.

Once the easement was secured, NRCS staff led by Rachel Maggi, Area Biologist in the Brush Prairie office, Molly Dawson, Area Engineer in the Olympia office, and Dan Larsen, Planner in the Port Orchard office, worked with Great Peninsula Conservancy and the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group to restore these former wetlands to their previous glory.

The first problem: the levees installed by the early settlers to keep saltwater at bay allowed freshwater plants to flourish, overtaking the area. Once the levee was removed, saltwater from Puget Sound was able to flow freely into the wetlands for the first time in 100 years, restoring the historical balance of fresh and saltwater to the area resulting in a magnificent estuary that is now teeming with life.

Another great example of restoration work can be found not far from the Klingel Wetlands at the Farm at Water’s Edge, where work is underway to replace culverts that blocked fish from swimming upstream with ones that allow for easy passage, with the additional benefit of returning Mindy Creek to its original meandering nature.

Mindy Creek had been straightened to allow for easy plowing of fields near its edge but this resulted in the Creek being little more than a drainage ditch. The restoration provides different depths and curves that allow fish to easily navigate, rest, hide and spawn.

It’s great to see how landowners and groups can take advantage of conservation programs available through NRCS and how our dedicated staff works every day to truly make a difference on the landscape.

My experience in Washington was wonderful. It was inspiring to see how so many landowners and conservation partners voluntarily work to make positive difference in restoring this estuary. I’ve learned firsthand – Washington is more than rain, coffee and apples. Washington is about people doing what’s right and taking care of their natural treasures like Puget Sound.

Salt water plants are beginning to reemerge in Klingel Wetlands, thanks to the hard work of NRCS and partners in restoring the original shoreline.

How EDEN can help YOU prepare for disasters

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Scott Elliott, USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture, on September 18, 2014 at 3:30 PM

With the annual hurricane season brewing and potential winter storms on the horizon – not to mention the ever-present tornadoes, earthquakes, drought and fire – federal agencies are joining forces this month to help Americans prepare for and survive disasters.

 September is National Preparedness Month and America’s PrepareAthon! is a national awareness campaign to get families and communities thinking about how to respond in the event of a disaster or other emergency.  Saluting the “Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare” theme, the month’s events conclude on September 30 with National PrepareAthon! Day.  Are you getting involved?

The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN), with its website managed by the Louisiana State University Ag Center, is the nation’s premier source for disaster preparedness information, a one-stop shop of research-based educational material for all.  EDEN operates locally as part of the Cooperative Extension efforts at each state’s land-grant university.  USDA’S National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) contributes funding each year through Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative and Smith-Lever special needs grants.

“Disasters can happen any time, any place, so every family needs to be prepared,” Abby Hostetler, EDEN communications specialist at Purdue University, said.  “Creating a family emergency kit, or grab-and-go kit, is a great first step to ensure your family can be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours after a disaster strikes.”

EDEN has developed a Family Preparedness Course that is available online. The course teaches a family not only how to make a kit, but also how to create a family plan and what a family can do to be more informed. The course also covers creating specialized emergency kits for infants, children, seniors, and even family pets.

 Other personal disaster preparedness resources include a Winter Survival Kit phone app, developed by North Dakota State University Extension Service using NIFA funding, and apps that provide disaster preparedness information in Spanish.

 As critical as personal readiness is for your own survival, it’s equally important that communities prepare.

 “We know that most communities will likely be impacted by several types of hazards during a lifetime. Knowing what to do before, during, and after an emergency is critical and may make all the difference when seconds count,” Keith Tidball, senior extension associate at Cornell University and New York’s EDEN program leader, said.  “How do we ensure that people’s actions reflect the highest levels of preparedness?  The answer is increased education and training.”

 Enter EDEN with its mission to reduce the impact of disasters through research-based education.  “One of the strengths of EDEN has always been a multi-disciplinary approach to disaster preparedness education, mitigation, recovery and response,” EDEN Chair Rick Atterberry said. 

 Information is available 24/7 on all types of disaster and survivability preparedness, and New York’s response to 2012’s Super Storm Sandy provides a recent example of EDEN’s support. 

During Sandy, New York’s EDEN disaster response team created a statewide information network that provided disaster preparedness and recovery information via Facebook, Twitter, email lists, web sites, and the Cornell University press office.  After determining that the state’s agricultural sector would be spared from much of the storm’s damage, the team was agile enough to shift its focus and tailor resources to meet the needs of New York City and other highly populated areas. 

 Stay tuned to #NatlPrep on social media to see what other agencies and departments are doing to help YOUR community prepare for disaster.

North Dakota Agriculture: One Word - Diversity

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Darin Jantzi, North Dakota State Statistician, National Agricultural Statistics Service, on September 18, 2014 at 2:16 PM

North Dakota farmers don’t have to be Meek – they can brag about leading the nation in the production of Durum and spring wheat, as well as honey, pinto beans, canola, and other crops as well. Check back next Thursday as we spotlight another state and the 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Even before Lewis and Clark explored the Northern Plains in 1804 and 1805, agriculture was very prevalent in the area that later became North Dakota and it is still widespread today. The 2012 Census of Agriculture showed that farms and ranches occupy 39.3 million acres of land in North Dakota, which is an amazing 89-percent of the total land in the state.

North Dakota is a very diverse state when it comes to the number of commodities produced, especially for crops. In 2012, our farmers led the nation in the production of all dry edible beans, navy beans, pinto beans, canola, flaxseed, honey, Durum wheat, and spring wheat. North Dakota was also the second leading state in barley, lentils, oats, dry edible peas, sunflowers, and all wheat production. We also were in the top five for the production of multiple other crops. So as you can see, the state’s producers are varied in what they produce and the amount that they produce.

The Peace Garden State growers sold almost $11 billion worth of agricultural products in 2012, which is a whopping 80-percent increase from 2007. Of these sales, $9.7 billion – nearly 90-percent of the total agricultural product sales in North Dakota – came from crops. Historically, wheat has had one of the largest, if not the largest, economic impacts on our state. The 2012 agricultural census shows that wheat had the largest amount of agricultural sales with over $2.5 billion in sales. This accounts for almost one-fourth of all agricultural sales in 2012. In addition to corn and soybeans, flaxseed and canola are also widely grown across our state. North Dakota is the biggest player for these two crops in the United States. The 2012 census showed that 95-percent of the country’s flaxseed and 83-percent of the canola came from our state.

Many North Dakota farmers grow sugarbeets and potatoes in the lush, nutrient rich soils of the Red River Valley. In 2012, North Dakota was the 3^rd largest producer of sugarbeets and potatoes in the United States. Also, our producers are proud that North Dakota is the largest honey producing state in the United States. Approximately, 34.2 million pounds of honey came from North Dakota in 2012, accounting for 23-percent of the total U.S. production.

To learn more about North Dakota agriculture and its diverse commodities, please visit the 2012 Census of Agriculture results.