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Articles on USDA

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Vaccines help protect farm animals from various diseases. dusanpetkovic/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Vaccines using mRNA can protect farm animals against diseases traditional ones may not – and there are safeguards to ensure they won’t end up in your food

While mRNA vaccines are designed to last longer in the body than mRNA molecules typically would, they are also tested to ensure they are eliminated from livestock long before milking or slaughter.
Raising kids on a farm, as Kerissa Payne is doing, isn’t simple. Photo courtesy of Kerissa and Charlie Payne

Lack of affordable child care is hurting young farm families’ ability to grow their businesses – the US farm bill may finally offer some help

Access to affordable child care affects farm productivity, safety and ultimately the nation’s food supply. Farm families across the U.S. are struggling without it.
Healthy turkeys on a farm in West Newfield, Maine. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Bird flu has made a comeback, driving up prices for holiday turkeys

Hunters are warned to take precautions handling wild birds, and the virus can spill over to non-avian species, so no one should approach wild animals that appear ill.
Forest thinning and prescribed burns leave less fuel to burn. Escaflowne via Getty Images

New federal wildfire plan is ambitious – but the Forest Service needs more money and people to fight the growing risks

After another devastating wildfire year in the West, the Biden administration has a plan to ramp up forest thinning and prescribed burns. Two foresters explain why these projects are so important.
Soybeans sprout on an Illinois farm through corn stubble left on an unplowed field from the previous season – an example of no-till farming. Paige Buck, USDA/Flickr

To make agriculture more climate-friendly, carbon farming needs clear rules

Policymakers want to pay farmers for storing carbon in soil, but there are no uniform rules yet for measuring, reporting or verifying the results. Four scholars offer some ground rules.
Cows at the University of California, Davis beef research facility. Photo credit: Alison Van Eenennaam/ University of California, Davis

Gene-edited food regulations: whether it’s a plant or animal shouldn’t matter, but it does now

According to current regulations, animals that have been genetically edited, like pigs or cows, are considered drugs. What are the consequences of such rules on American livestock and agriculture?
A photographer’s rendition of the neo-Nazi milk fetish. Milk has been a symbol for Nazis for decades. (Livonia Stronk/Imgur)

Milk, a symbol of neo-Nazi hate

The U.S.-based white supremacist movement that calls itself the “alt-right” has recently embraced milk as a symbol.
Cooked chicken meat imported from China could end up in U.S. restaurant meals without information about its origin. Jacek Chabraszewski/Shutterstock

How safe is chicken imported from China? 5 questions answered

China has started exporting cooked chicken meat to the United States. Is it safe to eat? An agriculture extension specialist discusses possible concerns about food safety and contamination.
Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina. Tjss99/Flickr

The state of US forests: 6 questions answered

Forests are valuable for many uses, including timber, clean water, wildlife habitat and recreation. Stresses on U.S. forests include wildfires, pest invasions and development of private lands.

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