USDA
Engineers work on better blueberry picker
Industrial engineers from Penn State are part of a nine-university, four-year, $4.75 million collaborative research project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) focused on increasing the efficiency of blueberry production in the United... more »
Protecting organic integrity through enforcement
The mission of the National Organic Program (NOP) – part of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service – is to protect the integrity of the USDA organic seal. Consumers look for and trust the organic seal because they... more »
USDA to fund food safety programs for small farms
USDA has made $4.7 million available in grants for food safety education, training, and technical assistance projects that address the needs of owners and operators of small to mid-sized farms, beginning farmers, socially-disadvantaged farmers, small processors,... more »
USDA to buy Maine wild blueberries
USDA has agreed to purchase 30 million pounds of wild blueberries from Maine blueberry growers, The Associated Press reports. The Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine... more »
USDA conducting first local foods survey
The USDA has begun conducting the 2015 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is conducting this first-time survey to produce official benchmark data on the local food sector in the United States. The... more »
Andean blackberry, raspberry can be imported from Ecuador
USDA APHIS is amending the “Fruit and Vegetables” regulations to allow the importation of fresh Andean blackberry (Rubus glaucus Benth) and raspberry (Rubus idaeus Linnaeus) fruit from Ecuador into the continental United States under a... more »
USDA launches new GroupGAP program
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced the official launch of GroupGAP, a new certification program that helps small and mid-sized growers and cooperatives meet retailers' on-farm food safety requirements. "We know that GAP certification can... more »
USDA announces $5.2 million for nanotechnology research
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced an investment of more than $5.2 million to support nanotechnology research at 11 universities. The universities will research ways nanotechnology can be used to improve food safety, enhance renewable fuels,... more »
Secretary Vilsack announces agreements for US-Cuba ag sectors
While in Cuba, Secretary Vilsack announced that USDA will allow the 22 industry-funded Research and Promotion Programs and 18 Marketing Order organizations to conduct authorized research and information exchange activities with Cuba. These groups, which... more »
$62 million in specialty crop grants available to growers
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is making more than $62 million in grant funding available to support specialty crop producers through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). SCBGP grants are allocated to U.S.... more »
Current Issue
Driscoll’s pioneers indoor strawberries
First UF blackberry day shows growers challenges, opportunities
Digicrop views robotics, precision agriculture
Powdery mildew detector fights strawberry disease
Farm Market column: How to find, keep your farm’s CSA members
Notes From the Farm column: Pecan sprayers, fruit rot and increasing health issues
Ag Labor Review column: Building a better understanding of farm life
see all current issue »
