Asian longhorned beetle and "egg site." Credit: R. Anson Eaglin, USDA-APHIS
This past March, almost 11 years after being found in New Jersey, federal and state agriculture officials are finally able to say that the state’s long-running battle against the non-native Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is over.
New Jersey is the second state to declare itself free from the invasive tree-killing insect. The beetle was successfully eradicated from Illinois in 2008, and the ALB-regulated area of Islip, New York, also achieved eradication in 2011. So, getting rid of this “hungry pest” is possible. That’s good news, because, depending on where you live, 70 percent of your community’s tree canopy could be lost to ALB. Read more »
Tags: ALB, APHIS, Asian longhorned beetle eradication program., eradication, Hungry Pests, invasive species, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Plant and Animal Health, tree checks
Plant and Animal Health
World Farmers Inc. and some of the farmers it serves. (Left to right) Fabiola Nizigiyimana, Lucia Ngatia, Maria Mbonimpa, Maria Moreira (Executive Director World Farmers), and Virginia Apraiari.
What do immigrant farmers from Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, and Liberia have in common with central rural Massachusetts?
The Answer: World Farmers Inc. or WFI. Read more »
Brady Brazell, NRCS Civil Engineering Technician and Julie Tosten, NRCS Soil Conservation Technician, admire the goats taking a walk around the farm.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is working with Land’s Sake, a non-profit organization in Weston, Mass., to improve soil health and to install an irrigation system and a high tunnel on their working organic farm.
The Land’s Sake farm has been in operation since 1980, when the town bought the land from Harvard University, which owned it as part of the Arnold Arboretum. Land’s Sake’s mission is to connect people with the land through farming and forestry through educational programs on their farm and local conservation lands. Read more »
The Power Panther get the crowd “powered up” at the July 10th Boston SFSP Kickoff Event.
On a sunny July afternoon, a long line of students, ranging in ages from 4-18, listened eagerly as Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and representatives from USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and Boston Public School System kicked off for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Cafeteria staff from Lila Frederick School in Dorchester, Mass. cooked and served a BBQ lunch for about 100 eligible SFSP students from the local neighborhood. On the menu: turkey hot dogs, grilled chicken, corn on the cob, fresh slices of watermelon, grape juice and fat free milk. Read more »
ALB damage featuring tunneling and exit holes on cut trees
Imagining our communities without trees is hard to fathom. Unfortunately, there is an insect that threatens the trees we love – the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). It’s an invasive insect that feeds on certain species of hardwood trees, eventually killing them. Since its discovery in the United States, the beetle has caused tens-of-thousands of trees to be destroyed in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, and most recently in Ohio. Read more »
The mobile market delivering fresh produce residents of Spartanburg County, South Carolina.
Three community supporters of Let’s Move are moving towards healthier lives. Inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Faith and Communities initiative, these communities are leading the way in creative solutions to health issues through mobile grocery markets, convenient bicycle accommodations, and safe routes to school. These innovative ideas are brought to life through the funding and partnership of organizing group Active Living by Design. Read more »
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