American and Chinese officials celebrate the opening of the U.S. Agricultural Trade Office in Shenyang, China, September 17.

I was delighted to be in China last week to officially open USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service’s new Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) in Shenyang. This new office will serve as a bridge between American and Chinese businesses, opening opportunities for trade and collaboration between our two nations. Read more »

Pipes that will be installed within the next few months

The Town of Newburg was awarded a total of $2,875,000 for the Fellowsville, York Run, and State Route 26 Water Extension Project.  USDA Rural Development Community Facilities is providing a $400,000 loan, $941,000 grant, and a $185,000 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) grant to the project.  Also, a Small Cities Block grant for $1,000,000 and a West Virginia Infrastructure Council grant for $349,000 are assisting in the total project cost. Read more »

FNS Regional Administrator James Arena-DeRosa judges tomatoes at Tomato Festival in Boston

Recently tomato farmers from across the Bay State converged on Boston City Hall Plaza seeking top tomato bragging rights at the 26^th Annual Tomato Festival.  I joined a panel of food writers, chefs, cookbook authors, grocers, and state officials as we readied our score sheets. Read more »

FSA Youth Loan Recipient Tanner Johnson.

The life of a typical young boy is nothing compared to the daily routine of 11-year-old Farm Service Agency (FSA) Youth Loan recipient, Tanner Johnson.  Read more »

If you want more proof that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has produced major economic improvement in America, check out the report issued Friday by Vice President Biden.  It highlights some of the most innovative Recovery Act projects undertaken across America and I’m proud to say that a number of those were supported by USDA. Read more »