Washington DC - March 11 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new details about the functions and objectives of USDA’s Office of Environmental Markets, now part of USDA’s Natural Resources and Environment mission area.

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Washington DC - March 10 - Corn harvested area declined 10,000 acres in Michigan, but was unchanged in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Corn production in the U.S. is estimated at 13.1 billion bushels, down fractionally from previous estimates.

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Washington DC - March 9 - Brazil announced it is moving forward on retaliation for injuries due to the U.S. cotton program and the export credit guarantee program. The retaliation list totals 102 products including both agricultural and industrial goods.

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Washington DC - March 9 - The fifth edition of the Power of Meat, a joint study by the American Meat Institute and the Food Marketing Institute, finds that the recession is continuing to impact food purchasing and consumption behavior, including the meat department.

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Washington DC - March 8 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack discussed USDA’s work to strengthen the American agriculture economy and revitalize rural communities in the keynote speech at the 2010 Commodity Classic in Anaheim, Calif. Vilsack focused on efforts to increase exports of agricultural products to help American farmers, ranchers, and workers.

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Washington DC - March 8 - The United States and Russia have reached an agreement to reopen the Russian market to U.S. pork and pork products, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced.

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Washington DC - March 5 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking project proposals that will improve water quality and the overall health of the Mississippi River in 41 eligible watersheds in 12 states.

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Washington DC - March 2 - Pointing out that exports generate 8,000 U.S. jobs for every $1 billion of agricultural goods exported, an ad hoc coalition of food, feed and agricultural entities today urged Congress to promptly pass several pending free trade agreements.

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Washington DC - March 2 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack launched USDA’s Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers Program to help American agricultural producers adjust to the current, challenging economic environment.

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Washington DC - March 2 - A bipartisan group of nineteen Senators sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk urging the Administration to press China to live up to its commitments and allow the importation of American pork.

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Washington DC - March 1 - Congressman Collin Peterson, House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton and Representative Jo Ann Emerson have introduced a Joint Resolution to repeal the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “endangerment finding”.

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Washington DC - March 1 - Agriculture Deputy Secretary Merrigan announced the availability of $5 Million in funding for the Farmers Market Promotion Program with a goal of improved food access in local, rural and underserved communities to promote the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms.

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Washington DC - February 26 - The USDA Secretary Vilsack signed an updated Memorandum of Agreement to promote increased cooperation between USDA, tribally controlled colleges and universities(TCUs), and American Indian/Alaska Native communities, ensuring that TCUs and American Indian/Alaska Native communities participate equitably in USDA employment, programs, and activities.

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Washington DC - February 25 - USDA officials highlighted one of its newest web-based mapping tool, Your Food Environment Atlas, which will enable researchers, policy makers, and the public to find information on a range of factors that affect access to healthy, affordable food, and will allow users to map the data by county.

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Washington DC - February 24 - House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota introduced legislation to expand U.S. agriculture exports to Cuba. This bipartisan bill, the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, is co-sponsored by 30 other Members of Congress.

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