Ever since Cindy and I have been in agricultural communications we’ve known and enjoyed working with Larry Quinn, USDA Office of Communications. Well, Larry just retired and while I was in Las Vegas attending BlogWorld and New Media Expo, Cindy got to talk to Larry. Larry says that when he first arrived at USDA he started working on a manual …
Big Interest in USDA Conservation Stewardship Program
Lots of farmers are interested in USDA’s revamped Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) – formally known as the Conservation Security Program. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White announced this week that they received nearly 21,300 applications to participate in the CSP, covering more than 33 million acres nationwide. “NRCS has received enough applications to carry out conservation activities on …
Biosecurity For Birds Photo Contest
Hey bird photographers. Here’s a photo contest you may be interested in from USDA. USDA APHIS’ Biosecurity For Birds campaign is inviting you to enter your best poultry or pet bird photos in the 2009 Biosecurity For Birds calendar photo contest. We are especially interested in photos of all kinds of poultry, gamebirds, wild birds, shorebirds, and pet birds shown …
USDA Facebook Chat
The whole USDA Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative keeps growing with new tools. This time it’s a live chat session via USDA/Facebook. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today launched a new USDA website for the ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ initiative to continue the national conversation about developing local and regional food systems and finding ways to …
MyFood-a-pedia
For those of you who want to analyze everything that passes your lips USDA has a new web page that will give you the details on any food products. MyFood-a-pedia – The much anticipated MyFood-a-pedia is a new online tool that gives consumers quick access to nutrition information for over 1,000 foods. The MyFood-a-pedia provides calorie count information on the …
Ag Commissioners Urge Protection of Farmland
Most of the country’s original colonies are urging the federal government to preserve and protect our nation’s farmland. “Protecting farmland for future agricultural use is of utmost importance to every citizen of the United States… so critical to maintaining the future viability of our agricultural sectors and rural communities,” said agriculture commissioners and officials from 13 states in a letter …
USDA Rural Development at Farm Progress Show
One of the press conferences at Farm Progress Show featured USDA Rural Development. To start it out we heard from Colleen Callahan, Illinois State Director for Rural Development. The former farm broadcaster was very comfortable in the media tent on the other side of the podium! She introduced new USDA Rural Development Under Secretary, Dallas Tonsager. Tonsager used the opportunity …
USDA Rural Tour in Missouri
Our Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, is in Missouri today on his Rural Tour. I couldn’t be with him but @ruraltour is keeping us up to date. Here’s some tweets from the morning so far: Great things happening with renewable energy at the Show Me Energy Co-Op. Rural innovation at its best, this is how we revitalze rural areas http://twitpic.com/epmgy …
NASS Updates Farmer Computer/Internet Usage
Almost 60% of of U. S. farms now have internet access and the use of DSL has become the most common method of accessing it. The National Agricultural Statistics Service just released its latest Farm Computer Usage and Ownership survey results. Here’s some key findings. Notice how much higher the numbers are for farmers with incomes over $100,000! DSL was …
Smokey Bear Is Tweeting
It’s birthday time for Smokey Bear (not “The Bear”). The USDA Forest Service is preparing to celebrate the 65th birthday of an American icon – Smokey Bear – on Monday, August 10. The celebration will take place at the Whitten Building USDA headquarters in Washington D.C. The birthday party will also include the release of the new Smokey Bear Story …