Topic: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Ash borer beetle shows up in Iowa (again)

Ash borer beetle, first spotted in Iowa three years ago, has now appeared in a second location in the state, officials announced Tuesday. Most ash borer beetle infestations have been caused by people unknowingly moving infested firewood, nursery plants and sawmill logs across county and state lines. 

Year after drought, wettest Midwest spring in 40 years delays crop planting

Last year, Midwest farmers struggled with drought; this year, it's heavy rain and sodden farmlands, which have pushed back the planting season. By contrast, farmers in the South worry about too little rain.

Opinion Gag the 'ag-gag' laws that bar undercover recording of cruelty to farm animals

Several states have passed 'ag-gag' laws that make it illegal to gather undercover documentation and videos of cruelty to animals at factory farms and in other areas of industrial agriculture. But it is precisely this kind of reporting that exposes and can help stop abuse of animals.

Junk foods banned by federal government in public schools

Junk foods, the sugary, syrupy, fattening stuff sold for a few quarters in school vending machines, are getting tossed by the federal government. The program, called 'Smart Snacks in Schools,' will replace junk foods with healthier items on school menus in the 2014-2015 school year. 

Bee kill-off in parking lot. Pesticide blamed.

Bee kill-off at an Oregon shopping center was caused by a pesticide for aphids. The kill-off involved some 25,000 bumble bees.  

Stir It Up! Winners announced for 'Kids' State Dinner' (+video)

Michelle Obama and Epicurious have announced the 54 recipe winners representing each US state and territory. The children will join the first lady for a healthy lunch and a tour of the White House kitchen garden.

The Simple Dollar Looking at frugality as an investment

Many people think that investing money will bring more income back to their household than being frugal. Hamm says that, with most Americans living paycheck to paycheck, it's worth considering the opposite: a focus on frugality could bring greater returns to your family.

Beef recall: National Beef product could contain E.coli

Beef recall involves 23,000 pounds of raw ground beef that may contain E.coli. The beef recall affects 12 states that received ground beef from Kansas facility owned by National Beef Packing Company.

Starlets of the garden

Showy oriental poppies are brief, but tolerant and easy to grow.

Burger King McRib? Watch out, McDonald's.

Burger King’s new rib sandwich won’t be called the McRib, for obvious reasons. But with a national rollout of its own 'McRib' looming, Burger King is taking pointed aim at the McDonald’s cult favorite. 

Energy Voices Why the US military should continue biofuel research

The sequester should not excuse the US military from making the important investments into the future, Holland writes. It is strategically important for the military to develop new sources of energy like biofuels.

Pakistani fertilizer grows both Taliban bombs and Afghan crops

The Pakistani government is working with the US to make sure a key ingredient for bombs stays away from insurgents in Afghanistan, but that effort may be having an unintended casualty.

Frozen pizza: Plastic shards in CPK pizza trigger recall (+video)

Frozen pizza: Plastic shards found in California Pizza Kitchen and DiGiorno frozen pizza. One consumer reported a chipped tooth on plastic after biting into a California Pizza Kitchen pizza.

Nestlé recalls CPK, DiGiorno frozen pizzas nationwide (+video)

Nestlé has issued a recall of four brands of DiGiorno and California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizzas sold in the US. The recalled pizzas may contain fragments of plastic that came from spinach used in manufacturing. 

GMO, Organic, and seven other food labels you should know

A quick, easy guide to nine commonly seen (and misunderstood) food labels, from 'GMO' to 'grass-fed.'

How to join climate team

Meat recall expands to 13 states

Meat recall includes roast beef, ham, turkey breast, corned beef, and pastrami shipped to retailers. No illnesses have been linked to the meat recall.

Immigration reform: Farm-worker compromise brings bill a step closer to Senate floor

Farmer and labor groups are voicing support for a deal on farm workers, but it’s just one piece of the complicated effort by both political parties to craft an immigration reform bill this year.

Will we ever understand 2012 drought? Study blames 'random weather' (+video)

The drought of 2012 was more about unusual weather patterns than global warming, says a study. But its authors acknowledge the record-smashing event likely will be a puzzle for years to come.

Stir It Up! Michelle Obama invites kids to submit recipes for a state dinner

For the second Kids' State Dinner to be held in the summer of 2013, Michelle Obama and others invite American schoolchildren to submit healthy recipes to be served at the dinner.

For some farmers, a return to animal power

A nonprofit based in Michigan teaches animal-powered farming at home and abroad. Draft power, or animal traction, is a method smaller farmers still use because draft animals cost less than tractors and require no fuel.

Opinion Proposals to ban purchase of sugary drink with food stamps won't work

The same flaws that caused a New York judge to overturn Mayor Bloomberg's ban on big sugary drinks are inherent in proposals to ban the purchase of sugary drinks using food stamps. Such bans are unlikely to help fight obesity and can do substantial damage to the safety net.

'Cous Cous' the lion innocent in death of handler, family says

The family of Dianna Hanson, who was killed by a 550-pound male lion named 'Cous Cous' on Wednesday, calls the incident a 'tragic accident' that was no one's fault, including the lion. 

Lion mauling death: How dangerous are private zoos? (+video)

Animal behavior experts called the mauling death of a young woman in California an unfortunately predictable tragedy. Conservationists say too many exotic animals are kept privately in the US.

Lion kills female volunteer at California zoo (+video)

Lion kills female volunteer, who was a new intern at Cat Haven, a private exotic animal park. Sheriff's deputies shot the lion after it had killed the female volunteer.