ars

Education used to be about the “Three Rs” – reading, (w)riting, and (a)rithmetic. It still is, but more letters have worked their way in: S, T, E, and M. Since 2001 educators have begun to focus more of their attention on the teaching of STEM – an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Renewable fuels – ethanol, biodiesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and more – are filling gas tanks more than ever, mitigating the effects of petroleum-based fuel on the environment. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a major contributor to that shift.

August is National Breastfeeding Month. Did you know that USDA conducts research to define dietary needs to ensure optimal maternal and child health? A researcher with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is heading international studies to establish nutritional guidelines for vitamins and minerals in human milk.

Treating and recycling used municipal water for irrigation is not a new concept, but there may be an unforeseen consequence with that practice: Microplastics.

After suffering severe winter losses beginning in 2007, the honey bee population is making a comeback. Still, losses are high, which means beekeepers have to spend a lot of time and money replacing their bees.

Scientists from the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are working shoulder-to-shoulder with food producers to help them feed the world’s growing population. One of their most effective tools is integrating ecological, economic and social principles to help farming systems move toward greater resilience.

Today is World Food Safety Day, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has launched a sweeping new initiative known as the Salmonella Grand Challenge. The project brings together an elite group of ARS, university and food industry scientists from different specialties to fight Salmonella, a foodborne pathogen that sickens over a million Americans each year, sometimes fatally. The challenge complements the work being done by the Food Safety and Inspection Service to develop a more effective strategy to reduce human Salmonella illness linked to poultry.

The U.S. cotton industry contributes 35% of the cotton exported globally.

Americans love their shrimp. No matter how you eat them, by pounds consumed, the popularity of these delectable little morsels ranks well ahead of salmon and more than doubles that of canned tuna.