[GET THE SCOOP] VOLUME 58

NO.6—JULY-AUGUST 1999

WE'RE REVITALIZING 'ADOPT-A-SCHOOL'—AND USDA WANTS YOU

 Students, Science Fairs, Tutors, Trains

INSIDE THE "USDA NEWS"

In addition to this current issue of the "USDA NEWS," you may also access the Home Page version of

back issues, starting from January 1996 to the most recent issue. All other back issues are available in hard

copy only, which you may request by writing c/o "USDA NEWS," Rm. 440-A Whitten Bldg, Office of

Communications, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20250-1300.

United States Department of Agriculture

Published by the Office of Communications

USDA Employee News Publication/July-August 99 

http://www.usda.gov/news/pubs/newslett/cover.htm [10/5/1999 2:39:51 PM]
The USDA News is published by the Office of Communications, the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This employee news publication, which is prepared by, for, and about this Department's employees, is

distributed to USDA's 106,400 federal employees--full-time, part-time, and temporary--by order of the

Secretary of Agriculture. Mailing address is Rm. 440-A Whitten Bldg., OC, USDA, 1400 Independence

Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-1350.

To update your mailing address or change the quantity of USDA News copies received in your USDA

office, please contact your agency's mailing/distribution specialist.

Ron Hall, Editor

ron.hall@usda.gov

Joan Van Chantfort, Art Director

Cedric Drake, Printing and Distribution Coordinator

Charles Hobbs, Home Page Coordinator

charles.hobbs@usda.gov

The USDA News is also available on USDA's Home Page within the Internet. Use the World Wide Web

to access that Home Page version. Simply type the Home Page address--or Universal Resource Locator

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In addition, USDA employees may access the Department’s IntrAnet for information that is internal to

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USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national

origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status

(Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). Persons with disabilities who require alternative means

for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's

TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W

Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (202) 720-5964

(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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USDANEWS VOLUME 58 NO. 6 — JULY-AUGUST 1999

We're Revitalizing 'Adopt-A-School'—And USDA Wants You

 Students, Science, Fair, Tutors, Trains

by Ron Hall, Office of Communications

“Calling All Volunteers! We’re Lighting A New Fire Under This Program--And We Want You To Be A Part Of It!”

That’s the thrust of a message which USDA recently sent out to its employees at headquarters and field offices around the country.

The Department is reemphasizing its 'Adopt-A-School’ program and is encouraging employees to get--and/or stay-- involved.

“So you’re using

the flower to

represent the

positive

byproduct that

comes from

pairing

agriculture and

education, right?”

confirms FSIS’s

Francisco

Apodaca (left),

as he studies a

poster designed

by Washington,

DC 8th grade

student Vinh

Tran (right). It

was the grand

prize winner in a

contest, which

the Department

recently

sponsored, to

develop a poster

that best depicts

USDA’s 'Adopt-A-School’ program theme of “Agriculture and

Education, Planting the Seeds of Opportunity.” USDA has been

reemphasizing this program, encouraging employees to get involved as

volunteers.

--Photo by Ken Hammond

Earlier this year USDA updated its Adopt-A-School Program Guide.

The new version, dated May 1999 and titled “Agriculture and

Education, Planting The Seeds Of Opportunity,” updates an earlier

version that was issued six years ago. The updated version includes

an introductory message from Secretary Dan Glickman, in which he

noted that USDA “has long supported both the spirit and the reality of

an Adopt-A-School Program.”

And just what is this program?

Blondena Turner, executive assistant to the Office of Inspector

General’s assistant inspector general for policy development and

resources management, explained that 'Adopt-A-School’ refers to the

effort to encourage USDA employees to volunteer their time and

assistance, during the school day, to students in elementary, middle,

and/or high schools located in the general geographic area of USDA

offices. “Part of it is an attempt to help teach students the

fundamental skills necessary to live and work successfully in the

world of today,” she advised.

Iris Adams, director of OIG’s Equal Employment Opportunity

Division, said that, while the volunteer activities can be many and

varied, the Adopt-A-School programs share certain characteristics.

“For instance,” she noted, “there is usually some form of an 'adoptive

agreement’ which can last from a single school year to as long as the

school and the USDA employee wish it to be.”

In addition, the volunteer activity tends to support the goal of equipping students with basic competencies of reading, mathematics,

and other vital academic subjects.

In the past, such efforts have usually centered around USDA employees volunteering--with their supervisor’s advance approval and

generally for no more than a few hours during the work day when it is scheduled--to visit onsite at area schools and serve as tutors.

The April 1992 issue of the USDA News carried a story about the fact that the Department had clarified its policy and would grant

administrative leave to employees, both at headquarters and field offices, who were participating--with supervisory permission--in

such an 'Adopt-A-School’ volunteer activity.

But the program has taken on new dimensions since then. It has expanded into four general categories, as follows:

Instructional Support--Tutors and Mentors, which may include such activities as tutoring, a speakers bureau, and particular

programs to motivate students or staff.

1. 

2. Career Development, which may include student tours of the USDA workplace and 'career shadow’ days.

Academic and Institutional Support, which may include internships, the sponsorship of science fairs, and the donation of surplus

materials, furniture, and equipment.

3. 

Student Groups and Motivational Activities, which may include fundraising assistance and providing expertise in particular

projects.

4. 

USDA NEWS\Article 1\July-August 1999

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Agricultural Research Service Special Emphasis Program Manager Lori Delgado noted that, at present, USDA agencies have over 30

adopted schools throughout the country.

For instance, at the Farm Service Agency’s Aerial Photography Field Office in Salt Lake City, employees worked with students at its

adopted elementary school to develop a model of a computerized train layout of the site in Park City, Utah for the 2002 Winter

Olympics. “As part of our help,” noted Dave Parry, FSA customer services specialist, “we provided aerial photos of satellite imagery

of that geographic area, for the train display.”

Carlos Dominguez, a historian with the Forest Service’s International Institute of Tropical Forestry in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, said

that several FS employees work with three public high schools in Puerto Rico. “I work with biology teacher Noemi Mendez and

others,” he explained, “as we take students onsite to a local forest area that had been damaged by excessive agricultural practices and

ultimately abandoned, so they can study how the ecosystem is healing itself naturally.”

According to Francisco Apodaca, chief of the Financial Reviews and Analysis Branch in the Food Safety and Inspection Service,

FSIS was the first USDA agency to organize a science fair, with its employees serving as judges, when it initiated that activity with

students from Lincoln Multicultural Middle School in Washington, DC in 1996.

Agricultural Marketing Service international economist Ricardo Krajewski said USDA can see benefits through participation in

Adopt-A-School. “Volunteers can help improve the quality of their area schools--and their community.”

But there’s yet another potential benefit to the Department, as FSIS financial assistant Sonya Bankins pointed out. “By encouraging

our employees to work with students, we’re helping to develop and shape the work force for the new millennium, we’re ensuring

diversity in it--and we may help those students consider careers at USDA once they finish school.”

USDA formally kicked off the effort at reemphasizing its participation in Adopt-A-School with a ceremony at the Whitten Building at

USDA HQ in Washington, DC on May 26. FSIS Hispanic Employment Program Manager Gerry Flores noted that earlier, USDA

sponsored a contest in which students in all DC-area public schools, grades 7-12, were invited to design an Adopt-A-School poster.

Paula Hayes, OIG’s assistant inspector general for policy development and resources management, was a judge in the poster contest.

She said “The creativity displayed by the 54 children who submitted posters demonstrates that, when you plant a seed of knowledge

and challenge people’s creativity, they recognize their opportunity and act on it.”

Inside the "USDA NEWS"

 News and Current Information

Past Issues

 USDA's ...Homepage

USDA NEWS\Article 1\July-August 1999

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USDANEWS VOLUME 58 NO. 6 —

JULY-AUGUST 1999

INSIDE THE "USDA NEWS"

We're Revitalizing 'Adopt-A-School'—And USDA Wants You

 Students, Science Fairs, Tutors, Trains

1. 

2. Pork Purchase Sets Precedent In Foreign Food Aid 

3. Secretary Dan Glickman

4. Administrative NUGGETS

5. Employees Make These Thing... Happen!

6. USDA-Sponsored Calendar Highlights

7. 1998's Winners Of Presidential Rank Awards At USDA

8. Editor's Roundup -- USDA people in the news

● Enrique Figueroa was appointed as the deputy under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs.

Jim Kearney was appointed as the associate administrator for operations and management in the Farm

Service Agency.

● 

● Parks Shackelford was appointed as the associate administrator for programs in the Farm Service Agency.

● Vincette Goerl was selected as the deputy chief/chief financial officer in the Forest Service.

List of USDA NEWS/Articles for July-August 1999

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List of USDA NEWS/Articles for July-August 1999

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Past issues of

Issue Lead Articles

Volume 58 No.5

June 1999

1. We Honor 101 Award-Winning USDA Achievers

USDA Scores A 'Federal First' In Facility Support...And A

'JWOD Prototype' For Field Sites

2. 

Volume 58 No. 4

May 1999

How We're Helping The Refugees From Kosovo...Plus,

Our Food Aid May Result In Roads

1. 

A Chance To Revise Your Life Insurance For The New

Millennium...Salary Caps Out; Foster Children In

2. 

Volume 58 No. 3

March-April 1999

Workplace Violence: It's Real--But We're

Responding...'Stand-downs,' And Use Of Satellites

1. 

A New Approach To Resolving Conflicts at The

Department

2. 

Volume 58 No. 2

February 1999

USDA's 2000 Budget Calls For Cut Of $4.1 Billion, Gain

Of 412 Fed Staff Years

1. 

We've Been Enlisted To Help Conserve Military Lands

Around The World...Part Of "The Latest Generation"

2. 

Volume 58 No. 1

January 1999

1. USDA Opts Out Of A Buyout For FY 1999

Creative Employees Were Once Again 'Making A

Difference' In Anti-Hunger Efforts...Chopping Veggies, & A

'Food Fight'

2. 

Volume 57 No. 9

November-December 1998

We've Been Innovative In Our Workers' Comp

ProgramUSDA Opts Out Of A Buyout For FY 1999...2

For 1 'Carrots' & $5,000 'Sticks'

1. 

'Georges' Was Unique, And Our Assistance Was

Especially Needed

2. 

Volume 57 No. 8

October 1998

1. USDA's Budget For FY 1999 Is Signed Into Law

We're Trying Out Some New Methods Of Disaster

Assistance...El Nino Is Gone--But Not Forgotten

2. 

Volume 57 No. 7

September 1998

Some New Tools We're Using To Help Collect

Delinquent Debts...From Loan Borrowers to Arsonists

1. 

How We Responded In The Afermath Of The Embassy

Bombings

2. 

Volume 57 No. 6 1. 'Twas Long Awaited And Hotly Debated; It's 'Open

USDANEWS/Past Issues

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August 1998 Season' To Switch To FERS...And If You Do It, It's

Irrevocable

'Convergence' Is In; 3 Separate Support Structures Are

Out...Next Stop: October 1

2. 

Volume 57 No. 5

June/July 1998

1. We Honor 110 Award-Winning USDA Achievers

How Our Colleagues Coped with Evacuation from a

Foreign Hotspot...One Luggage Item, No Pets, Uncertainty

2. 

Volume 57 No. 4

May 1998

Here Is Our Progress On The Year 2000 Computer

Problem

1. 

New Linkage Can Help You In Your Job Search,

Online...And Up Next: 'Electronic Resumes'

2. 

Volume 57 No. 3

April 1998

At The One-Year Mark, Here Is Our Progress On The

Civil Rights Recommendations

1. 

For In-House Use, Now We're Relying On The

IntrAnet...Security, Plus More Bells & Whistles

2. 

Volume 57 No. 2

March 1998

USDA's FY99 Budget Calls For A Gain Of $3.1 Billion:

Cut Of 1,964 Fed Staff Years

1. 

We Got Creative In Our Latest Food Drive Efforts...From

Raffles To Red Beans And Rice

2. 

Volume 57 No. 1

Jan.- Feb. 1998

How USDA Collects The Money That Its Customers

Owe...From Foot Power, To Electronic

1. 

A Unique Team Helps To Suppress Fires In

Indonesia...Bigger Than The Size Of Tennessee

2. 

Volume 56 No. 10

Nov. - Dec. 1997

USDA's Budget For FY 1998 Is Signed Into Law...Plus,

The New Line-Item Veto

1. 

USDA's Buyout Plan For FY 1998 Is Now In Gear...2,838

Fewer Of Us Here By January?

2. 

Volume 56 No. 9

October 1997

Our Career Center Still Offers Services--Only Now

There's A New Mission...But YOU Still Manage Your Career

1. 

It Once Took Days; Now Mere Minutes--Plus, No

Paperwork...Hey, All You Lenders: Listen Up!

2. 

Volume 56 No.8

September 1997

USDA Adopts Its Own Policy On Reprisals...It's To Ensure

Fairness And Consistency

1. 

Watch This Space: Your Employee Pub Is Being

Computerized...But Goodbye Green--At Least For Now

2. 

Volume 56 No. 7

Auguest 1997

Employee Efforts In Food Recovery Make A

Difference...No Time To Waste

1. 

2. Our Test Lab Will Result in "Better Ways To Do Things"

Volume 56 No. 6

June - July 1997

GPRA Is Putting Its Stamp On How We Do Business At

USDA....It's A Whole New Ball Game

1. 

2. We Honor 93 Award-Winning USDA Achievers

USDANEWS/Past Issues

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Volume 56 No. 5

May 1997

Here Is Our Progress on the Civil Rights

Recommendations

1. 

2. Our Work Force Looks Like This, Statistically

Volume 56 No. 4

April 1997

We're Racing to Reprogram Our Computer Systems

Before Jan. 1, 2000...There's No Single 'Silver Bullet'

1. 

2. It's Springtime and Our Post-Flood Repairs Have Begun

Volume 56 No. 3

March 1997

Glickman Announces Civil Rights Plans; Releases Team

Report

1. 

Our "New Look" Helps Reflect a "One USDA"

Message...Two Colors--Not Six--Save Money

2. 

Volume 56 No. 2

February 1997

USDA's FY98 Budget Calls for a Gain of $4.6 Billion;

Cut of 1,790 Fed Staff Years

1. 

When We Leave USDA, Our Federal Records Don't Go

With Us...They Add to the "Institutional Memory"

2. 

Volume 56 No. 1

January 1997

1. A New Year + A New Reg=No Smoking at USDA

USDA Initiates New Purchase Cards and "Convenience

Checks"... Reduced from $77 to $32 to $17

2. 

Volume 55 No. 10

November/December 1996

1. There's No Place Like Home Page at USDA

How We Handled This Season's Big Storm ... Plus, Those

Chicken Carcasses

2. 

Volume 55 No. 9

October 1996

Full Steam Ahead for USDA's Buyout Plan for

FY97...3,750 Fewer of Us Here by January?

1. 

'High-Tech Hardware' Helps Us Save Bigtime on Our

Energy Costs...This Gives New Meaning to 'Chill Out'

2. 

Volume 55 No. 8

September 1996

More Options Can Now Be Used to Assess

Performance...But No 'Arbitrary Imposition'

1. 

Big Changes Ahead for USDA's Workers' Comp

Program...No More 'Good Riddance'

2. 

Volume 55 No.7

August 1996

USDA's Budget is the First One Approved for

FY97...Plus, a Four-Year Buyout Option

1. 

2. New Badges + New Guards=Tighter Security

Volume 55 No.6

July 1996

1. We Honor 106 Award-Winning USDA Achievers

USDA Puts Its Stamp on the Summer

Olympics...Preparation Wasn't Only by Athletes

2. 

Volume 55 No.5

June 1996

We Commemorate 50 Years of School Lunch...Billions

and Billions Served

1. 

2. "Building Bridges" Marks Theme of Civil Rights Forum

Volume 55 No. 3

March 1996

USDA's FY97 Calls For A Gain of $3.8 Billion; Cut of

885 Staff Years

1. 

2. Neither Sleet, Nor Snow, Nor Furlough....A New Chapter

USDANEWS/Past Issues

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in "Customer Service"

Volume 55 No. 1

January 1996

USDA is Ahead of Schedule on Staff Year Reductions

and Savings...But "Downsizing is Never Easy"

1. 

A Synopsis of Our Post-Storm Efforts...Sleeping on

Tables; Stolen Batteries

2. 

Return to:

Publications

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 USDA's ...Homepage

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"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the

basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and

marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require

alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact

USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten

Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or

TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer."

About USDA

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USDA Vision: A healthy and productive Nation in harmony with the land.

USDA Mission: Enhance the quality of life for the American people by supporting production of

agriculture:

● ensuring a safe, affordable, nutritious, and accessible food supply

● caring for agricultural, forest, and range lands

● supporting sound development of rural communities

● providing economic opportunities for farm and rural residents

● expanding global markets for agricultural and forest products and services

● and working to reduce hunger in America and throughout the world.

About USDA

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 What's New at USDA

October 5, 1999

HACCP-Based Inspection Models Project

Aquaculture Outlook

Agriculture Research Magazine

Risk Management Agency redesigned website

October 4, 1999

AgExporter Magazine

Floriculture and Environmental Horticulture Yearbook

Pest Management in U.S. Agriculture

September 30, 1999

Agricultural Prices

September 29, 1999

USDA Celebrating the Millennium page

September 28, 1999

National Food Safety Database

September 27, 1999

U.S. Agricultural Trade Update

September 24, 1999

Agricultural Income and Finance

USDA Technology Protection System (aka 'Terminator') Benefits Agriculture

September 23, 1999

Agricultural Outlook

Rural Conditions and Trends

Bill of Rights to the Constitution of the United States

Constitution of the United States

September 20, 1999

Chromium Critical for Gluose Tolerance

September 16, 1999

Helping Rural America Face Crisis

USDA/OC:What's New

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September 15, 199

Hurricane Floyd

❍ FEMA Storm Watch

❍ National Hurricane Center

❍ Southeast Regional Climate Center

❍ North Carolina

❍ Virginia Climatology

September 14, 1999

Agricultural Outlooks

❍ Cotton and Wool

❍ Feed

❍ Oil Crops

❍ Rice

❍ Wheat

September 13, 1999

Marketing & Regulatory Programs Minneapolis Business Site

Crop Production

September 10, 1999

World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates

September 8, 1999

USDA History Collection

September 7, 1999

Agricultural Research Magazine

September 3, 1999

Rural Development Perspectives

AgExporter Magazine

September 1, 1999

Benefits from the USDA/Land-Grant University Partnership

Agricultural Prices

August 30, 1999

Outlook for U.S. Agricultual Trade

August 25, 1999

Crop Progress (N)

U.S. Ag Trade Update (E)

USDA/OC:What's New

http://www.usda.gov/whatsnew.htm (2 of 13) [10/5/1999 2:41:24 PM]
August 23, 1999

Revised Thrifty Food Plan (pdf)

August 20, 1999

USDA Drought Information page

Homepage for Small Farms

August 18, 1999

Will Increased Highway Funding Help Rural Areas?

Athletes Need Zinc

August 17, 1999

Dioxin Advisories and Guidance

Impact of Minimum Wage Increases on Food Prices

August 16, 1999

Agricultural Outlooks

❍ Cotton and Wool

❍ Feed

❍ Oil Crops

❍ Rice

❍ Wheat

Information Resources Management

August 13, 1999

Community Food Security Initiative

August 12, 1999

World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates

August 11, 1999

Organic Perspectives Newsletter

August 10, 1999

Antioxidant Power of Natural Product Supplements Highly Variable

FoodReview: Annual Spotlight on the U.S. Food System

August 6, 1999

Food Safety While Hiking, Camping and Boating

August 5, 1999

U.S. Foreign Agriculture Trade- Database Search

August 4, 1999

AgExporter Magazine

USDA/OC:What's New

http://www.usda.gov/whatsnew.htm (3 of 13) [10/5/1999 2:41:24 PM]
Natural Disaster Assistance

August 3, 1999

Impacts of Adopting Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S.

Agricultural Research magazine

Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology

August 2, 1999

Agricultural Prices

1999 Farm Income Forecast

U.S. Farm Resource Regions

July 29, 1999

Diagnosing Bluetongue and Related Diseases

July 28, 1999

Does Washing Food Promote Food Safety?

July 27, 1999

Livestock, Dairy and Poultry report

July 26, 1999

Agriculture Prices annual summary

July 23, 1999

Vegetables and Specialties Yearbook

Conservation Reserve Tree Thinning for Wildlife (pdf)

July 22, 1999

County Courthouse Photos

Agricultural Outlook

Farm Production Expenditures

July 21, 1999

Rural Conditions and Trends

Rural America at a Glance

July 20, 1999

Rural Labor Market Indicators

July 19, 1999

AgExporter Magazine

July 18, 1999

Vice President Gore Announces Plans for Additional Cash Payments for

USDA/OC:What's New

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Struggling Hog Farmers

July 16, 1999

Food & Nutrition Research Briefs

July 13, 1999

Biotechnology Overview

World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates

Agricultural Outlook

❍ Cotton and Wool

❍ Feed

❍ Oil Crops

❍ Rice

❍ Wheat

July 12, 1999

Crop Production report

July 9, 1999

Latest Cost of Food at Home at Four Levels (pdf)

July 8, 1999

Moving Toward the Food Guide Pyramid: Implications for U.S. Agriculture

Agricultural Cash Rents

July 7, 1999

Benefits of the Market Access Program

Recent Publications of the Forest Service Southern Research Station

Projected and Actual Crop Loss Disaster Assistance Payments

July 6, 1999

Agricultural Research Magazine

June 29, 1999

Medical Ingredients from Gene-Engineered Plants

June 28, 1999

Hogs and Pigs report

June 25, 1999

Karnal Bunt: A Fungal Disease of Wheat

June 24, 1999

NASS Monthly Ag Newsletter

USDA Sends Teachers to South Africa

USDA/OC:What's New

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June 23, 1999

Nature Watch Coloring Contest

Proposed Changes to WIC Food Delivery Systems

June 22, 1999

State and County Profiles from the latest Census of Agriculture

June 21, 1999

Rural Cooperatives magazines

State Cooperative Specialist Contacts

June 18, 1999

Trio of New Seedless Grapes

Agricultural Marketing Service new website

June 17, 1999

AgExporter Magazine

June 16, 1999

World Agricultural Production

Agricultural Outlooks:

Cotton and Wool

Feed

Oil Crops

Rice Outlook

Wheat Outlook

June 14, 1999

Dioxin Advisories and Guidance

Rural Conditions and Trends

June 11, 1999

World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates

Crop Production report

June 10, 1999

Animal Regulations, Exporting & Interstate Movement

June 9, 1999

Foodborne Illness Report

June 8, 1999

World Trade Organization and Agriculture

USDA/OC:What's New

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Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade

Healthy Animals newsletter

June 7, 1999

Agricultural Research Magazine

Interagency Commodity Estimates Committees Study

June 2, 1999

Accepting Nominations for Glickman Pyramid of Excellence Awards

Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Crop Policies

International Trade Shows

Best Prospects for U.S. Exports of Food and Fiber

June 1, 1999

A Method to Prevent E.coli and Salmonella

May 28, 1999

Listeria monocytogenes: Guidance and News

Iron for Premature Infants

May 27, 1999

Research Current Awareness Literature Service

Adopt-A-School Program Guide: Agriculture and Education, Planting the Seeds of Opportunity [pdf format

May 25, 1999

A Citizen's Guide to Food Recovery

May 24, 1999

Farm Labor report

May 21, 1999

New Attractant Targets Pest Ants

Agricultural Outlook

May 19, 1999

American Eating Habits: Changes and Consequences [pdf]

Sugar and Sweeteners report

Wheat Variety Helps Fight Scab

May 18, 1999

Official Standards for Grain, Rice, Beans, Peas

May 17, 1999

Food Review magazine: The Diet Quality Balancing Act

Celebrating 100 Years of the National Cooperative Soil Survey

USDA/OC:What's New

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Travel: What you shouldn't bring into the U.S.

May 14, 1999

World Agricultural Production

Agricultural Outlooks:

Cotton and Wool

Feed

Oil Crops

Rice Outlook

Wheat

May 13, 1999

Highway Investment and Rural Economic Development

World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (May)

Healthy Eating/Healthy Kids Partnerships Backgrounder

May 10, 1999

Agricultural Research Magazine (May 1999)

Guide to Animal Handling and Transport

May 5, 1999

Rural Development Perspectives magazine

National Grasslands Website

May 3, 1999

Sustainable Development and Small Farms New Website

April 26, 1999

AgExporter Magazine

April 22, 1999

New USDA for Kids/Ed Resources Page

Soybean Genome Mapping

April 21, 1999

Aerial Electrostatic Spray System

Flower Garden Blooming Dates

April 20, 1999

Agricultural Outlook

April 19, 1999

Crop Progress

USDA/OC:What's New

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April 16, 1999

Tongass National Forest Record of Decision

National Town Meeting for a Sustainable America

April 15, 1999

Growing Power Tomatoes

Organic Program International Standards Guide 65 Assessment Training

April 14, 1999

Food & Nutrition Research Briefs

World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference

Missing Pet Network, with State Contacts

For Kids: S.K. Worm Answers Questions About Soil

April 12, 1999

Worldwide Review of Organic Food Information, from Attache Reports

April 9, 1999

National Agricultural Library New Home Page

World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates

April 8, 1999

USDA Freedom of Information Act Annual Report 1998

AgExporter Magazine

Methyl Bromide Alternatives

Genetic Resources Research

April 7, 1999

Food Safety and Quality Research

Restrained Eating May Put Bones at Risk

April 6, 1999

Land Values and Cash Rents

April 5, 1999

The Changing Food Assistance Landscape: The Food Stamp Program

Agricultural Research Magazine (April)

April 2, 1999

Crop Prospective Planting annual forecast

Recent Publications of Forest Service Southern Research Station

Taxol Anti-Cancer Drug Production

March 31, 1999

USDA/OC:What's New

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Agricultural Prices

March 30, 1999

Judicial Officer home page

Administrative Law Judges Office home page

Wetlands Reserve Program

Evaluating Equivalence of Foreign Meat & Poultry Food Regulatory Systems [pdf]

U.S. Food Assistance Package for Russia

Wheat Yearbook

March 26, 1999

Animal Productivity Research

Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children

March 25, 1999

March 24, 1999

Soil, Water & Air Quality research

U.S. State Fact Sheets from the Census of Agriculture

March 22, 1999

Crop Diseases and Pests research

U.S. Agricultural Trade Update

March 19, 1999

Agricultural Outlook

Foodborne Illness Education Information Center

Millennium Discussions on Agriculture --"Crop Biotechnology" [Transcript]

 WordPerfect [93KB] or ASCII [78KB]

March 18, 1999

User-Fee Financing of USDA Meat and Poultry Inspection

Crop Productivity Research

March 17, 1999

Agricultural Baseline Projections

Food Economy Publications

March 16, 1999

Progress Report on Salmonella Testing

Government Food Safety Information

March 15, 1999

USDA/OC:What's New

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A Risk Factor in Heart Disease

March 12, 1999

AgExporter Magazine (March)

Issues Center

Research Results Into the Marketplace

March 11, 1999

U.S. Crop Production

March 10, 1999

Managing Risk in Farming

Human Nutrition

March 9, 1999

International Organic Perspectives

US-EU Hormone Issue

March 5, 1999

Natural Plant Extracts Could Be Methyl Bromide Substitute

March 4, 1999

Crop Profiles

March 3, 1999

Equine Survey - Inventory and Sale Values

March 2, 1999

Farm Numbers and Land In Farms

Agricultural Research Magazine (March)

Some Starchy Foods May Contribute to Overeating

Feb. 26, 1999

Agricultural Income and Finance (AIS)

Feb. 25, 1999

Hog Relief Information

Wetlands Reserve Program

Production Flexibility Contracts, Marketing Payments-Loans [pdf]

Feb 23, 1999

Children's Health Insurance Program

Proposed Rule on Meat Irradiation

Feb. 22, 1999

Irradiation of Meat and Poultry

USDA/OC:What's New

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Agricultural Exports Outlook

Feb. 19, 1999

Agricultural Outlook

Farm Labor

Feb. 18, 1999

Crop Insurance Protection Bonus - Deadlines and Examples

Export Assistance Update: Quarterly Report

Feb. 17, 1999

AgExporter Magazine

Feb. 16, 1999

Away-From-Home Foods in American Diet

Irradiation Backgrounder

Feb. 12, 1999

Y2K and Food Supply - International

Feb. 11, 1999

Interim Rule on Forest Service Roads

Changing the Food Distribution Programs

Feb. 10, 1999

Risk Management Agency news releases page

Feb. 9, 1999

Certain Foods May Slow Aging

Feb. 8, 1999

New Clue Treating Lethal Disease of Horses

Feb. 5, 1999

Agricultural Research Magazine (February)

Feb. 4, 1999

Nutrient Database (Handbook 8)

Feb. 3, 1999

Crop Loss Assistance Program

Unified Export Strategy

Feb. 2, 1999

Listeria

Women in Agriculture

National Network for Child Care

USDA/OC:What's New

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Feb. 1, 1999

Reforming Crop Insurance: The Administration's Principles and Preliminary Proposals

USDA 2000 Budget Summary

USDA/OC:What's New

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 Opportunities

Access America for Seniors

Civil Rights

Employment

❍ USDA

❍ All Federal Government

Nonprofit Gateway

Procurement

Small Business Opportunities

U.S. State and Local Gateway

USDA/Opportunities

http://www.usda.gov/opportun.htm [10/5/1999 2:41:29 PM]
Missions

Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services

Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services

Food Safety

Marketing and Regulatory Programs

Natural Resources and Environment

Research, Education, and Economics

Rural Development

USDA Mission: Enhance the quality of life for the American people by supporting production of

agriculture:

● ensuring a safe, affordable, nutritious, and accessible food supply

● caring for agricultural, forest, and range lands

● supporting sound development of rural communities

● providing economic opportunities for farm and rural residents

● expanding global markets for agricultural and forest products and services

● and working to reduce hunger in America and throughout the world.

USDA Vision: A healthy and productive Nation in harmony with the land.

Intro to USDA Mission 

http://www.usda.gov/mission/miss-toc.htm [10/5/1999 2:41:33 PM]
 News and Information

News... Information...

USDA News Releases

Speeches '97 - '98 - '99

Agency Reports/Schedule

Online Photo Center

Special Events

Publications

FOIA Information

Biotechnology Q & A's

Disaster Assistance

Domestic Assistance

Food Safety

Food Safety Database

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Home Canning Guides

Home Gardening

Mktg./Farmers Markets

Nutrition

Small Farms

Sustainable Development

Weather

Ag Calendar/Events

Civil Rights

Communications to Congress

Drought Information:

 Federal Resources

 USDA Assistance

Fed. Gov't Status[DC]

How To Get Information

USDA for Kids/Ed Resources

USDA Legislation

U.S. Trade Representative

USDA Celebrating the Millennium

Year 2000 Programs

News and Current Information

http://www.usda.gov/news/news.htm [10/5/1999 2:41:38 PM]
 [GET THE SCOOP] VOLUME 58 NO.3--MARCH-APRIL 1999

Workplace Violence: It's Real--But We're Responding

 'Stand-downs,' And Use Of Satellites

INSIDE THE "USDA NEWS"

In addition to this current issue of the "USDA NEWS," you may also access the Home Page version of back issues,

starting from January 1996 to the most recent issue. All other back issues are available in hard copy only, which you

may request by writing c/o "USDA NEWS," Rm. 440-A Whitten Bldg, Office of Communications, USDA, 1400

Independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20250-1300.

United States Department of Agriculture

Published by the Office of Communications

USDA Employee News Publication/March-April 1999 

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