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		<title>Chicago Botanic Garden Sprouts New Beginnings for Individuals and Communities</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Aaron Serrano was 15 years-old when he was charged with a felony and sentenced as an adult to two years in a Chicago-area prison. Today, at age 18, he has a full-time job at FarmedHere, an aquaponics agricultural producer in Chicago, where his boss calls him “a treasure.” Serrano’s transformation from a troubled teenager into [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/05/22/chicago-botanic-garden-sprouts-new-beginnings-for-individuals-and-communities/</link>
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		<title>USDA Rural Utilities Administrator Meets Partners in North Dakota to Promote the Promise of Rural America</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Turning on a light, running water from a faucet, or calling a friend are activities that most of us take for granted. Rural utility providers are the lifeblood in their communities offering services important in our everyday lives and in supporting rural industries. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides support to expand and modernize [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/05/22/usda-rural-utilities-administrator-meets-partners-in-north-dakota-to-promote-the-promise-of-rural-america/</link>
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		<title>Picking a Winner &#8211; Tips and Insight to Selecting Seasonal Produce</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As the cold, drab winter gives way to warmer temperatures and the crisp colors of spring, our longing for stews and other comfort foods ebbs, making way for some warm-weather favorites.  Picnics, hiking and other outdoor activities heighten the appeal of lighter, fresh salad greens, fruits, and vegetables.  From strawberries to broccoli, apricots to artichokes—we [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/05/22/picking-a-winner-tips-and-insight-to-selecting-seasonal-produce/</link>
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		<title>Did You Just Toss that Carrot Stick Away?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Did you throw away any food today? If so, you are not alone. Many of us struggle to store or use up the last of the leftovers or think of something edible to do with those shriveled vegetables at the bottom of the chiller drawer.  In fact, in 2010, 133 billion pounds of food in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/05/21/did-you-just-toss-that-carrot-stick-away/</link>
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		<title>Food Safety Tips for Those Impacted by Storms</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Following a disaster, those affected should be aware of these safety tips: Anyone with questions about the safety of their food as a result of weather damage and power outages is encouraged to call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (888-MPHotline), available in English and Spanish from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT. Ask Karen, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/05/21/food-safety-tips-for-those-impacted-by-storms/</link>
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		<title>USDA Offers Assistance to Tornado Victims</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Following the devastating effects of tornadoes this week, USDA is offering assistance to those in need.  USDA offers many programs that can provide assistance to landowners, farmers, ranchers and producers during disasters.  No Presidential or Secretarial declarations are required for the provision of much of this assistance. Agricultural producers are reminded that Federal crop insurance [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/05/21/usda-offers-assistance-to-tornado-victims/</link>
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		<title>ERS Ag Research Counts</title>
		<description><![CDATA[To recognize the contribution that research in agriculture makes in our daily lives, we’re focusing this month’s Science Tuesday blogs on the successes that USDA science agencies have achieved for us all. Many of us use technology daily to communicate faster than ever before. And Economic Research Service (ERS) is part of that group, too.  [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/05/21/ers-ag-research-counts/</link>
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		<title>Camping with Kids? There&#8217;s a Method to this Madness</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As an environmental educator, I’ve taken tons of kids outside for fun and educational experiences in the woods. Now, I am looking forward taking my own son out for his first discoveries and to create memories we’ll share for years to come. I figured I would share my personal camping tips with you. Plus, May [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/05/21/camping-with-kids-theres-a-method-to-this-madness/</link>
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		<title>All That Glitters Is Not Gold &#8230;.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In this case it is green, a brilliant emerald green, and it is chomping its way through America&#8217;s forests. The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, may look pretty, but it is killing our ash trees in our forests and backyards. This is Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week (May 19-25) and the time of year [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/05/20/all-that-glitters-is-not-gold/</link>
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		<title>Connecting Healthcare and Nutrition through the Summer Food Service Program</title>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Two is better than one.&#8221;  Holding true to this timeless adage, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is teaming up with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to expand the reach of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).  FNS strives to increase food security and reduce hunger by providing children and low-income people access [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/05/20/connecting-healthcare-and-nutrition-through-the-summer-food-service-program/</link>
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