USDA Loan Repayment Awards Help Deliver Veterinarian Services to Underserved Rural Communities

Media Contact: Jennifer Martin, (202) 720-8188

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2012–The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today 80 awards to American veterinarians to help repay a portion of their veterinary school loans in return for serving areas lacking sufficient veterinary resources. The awards, totaling more than $7.7 million, were made by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and will benefit 34 states, Puerto Rico, and other federal lands.  

“With the assistance awarded today, USDA is helping to overcome two major challenges in rural veterinarian medicine,” said Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, acting NIFA director. “First, many rural areas already face a critical shortage of access to veterinary services. And second, many veterinarians, when faced with student debt, choose to work in locations that offer higher pay than rural America, denying their talents to those most in need. When taken together, this is a distressing trend. But these awards will help. With this assistance, veterinarians will be able to return to rural America—to their hometowns or regions—where they can provide needed services to our rural communities, improve the health of livestock, and help ensure a safe food supply.”

Veterinarians are critical to America’s food safety and food security, and to the health and well-being of both animals and humans. Major studies indicate significant and growing shortages of food supply veterinarians and veterinarians serving in certain other high-priority specialty areas.  A leading cause for this shortage is the heavy cost of four years of professional veterinary medical training, which can average between $100,000 and $140,000.

Recipients are required to commit to three years of veterinary service in a designated veterinary shortage area. Loan repayment benefits are limited to payments of the principal and interest on government and commercial loans received for attendance at an American Veterinary Medical Association-accredited college of veterinary medicine resulting in a degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or the equivalent. Loan repayments made by the VMLRP are taxable income to participants. Also included in the award is a federal tax payment equal to 39 percent of the loan payment made directly to the award recipient’s IRS tax account to offset the increase in income tax liability.

In fiscal year 2011, NIFA received 159 applications, a success rate of 50.3 percent. Below is a breakdown of the fiscal year 2011 awards:

• 80 awards totaling $7,707,840 (includes loan and tax payments)
• Average award: $96,348 (includes loan and tax payments)
• Average eligible debt for repayment: $106,742
• 74 percent of recipients received the maximum payment of $25,000 per year (plus taxes)
• 63 percent of awards went to those who obtained their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine within the last three years
• 34 states, Puerto Rico, and other federal lands will fill at least one shortage area through VMLRP
• Montana will fill six shortage areas
• Nebraska and Texas will fill five shortage areas
• Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico and New York will fill four shortage areas
• Shortage type breakdown
• Type 1 (at least 80 percent private practice): 18 awards
• Type 2 (at least 30 percent private practice): 51 awards
• Type 3: (at least 49 percent public practice): 11 awards

Participants are required to serve in one of three types of shortage situations. Type 1 shortage areas are private practices dedicated to food animal medicine at least 80 percent of the award recipient’s time. Type 2 shortages are private practices in rural areas dedicated to food animal medicine up to 30 percent of the time. Type 3 shortage areas are dedicated to public practice up to 49 percent of the time.

The National Institutes of Health Division of Loan Repayment provided their expertise in service to NIFA during the applicant review process by reviewing loan documents submitted by the applicants.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272(voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

USDA Awards Grant to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for E. coli Research to Help Reduce Public Health Risks

Media Contact: Jennifer Martin, (202) 720-8188

LINCOLN, Neb., Jan. 23, 2012–The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that it has awarded a research grant to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to help reduce the occurrence and public health risks from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) along the entire beef production pathway. Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, acting director of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), is scheduled to award the $25 million grant to the UNL-lead research team today at the university in Lincoln.

“Shiga toxin-producing E. coli are a serious threat to our food supply and public health, causing more than 265,000 infections each year,” said Chavonda Jacobs-Young, acting NIFA director. “As non-O157 STEC bacteria have emerged and evolved, so too must our regulatory policies to protect the public health and ensure the safety of our food supply. This research will help us to understand how these pathogens travel throughout the beef production process and how outbreaks occur, enabling us to find ways to prevent illness and improve the safety of our nation’s food supply.”

Dr. James Keen at UNL, along with a multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary team of researchers, educators and extension specialists, will use the $25 million grant to improve risk management and assessment of eight strains of STEC in beef. This work will include the O104 strain that caused the recent outbreak in Germany. The project will focus on identifying hazards and assessing exposures that lead to STEC infections in cattle and on developing strategies to detect, characterize and control these pathogens along the beef chain. This knowledge will then be used to find practical and effective STEC risk mitigation strategies. The five main objectives of the project include:

• Detection: develop and implement rapid detection technologies for pre-harvest, post-harvest and consumer environments.
• Biology: characterize the biological and epidemiological factors that drive outbreaks of STEC in pre-harvest, post-harvest, retail and consumer settings.
• Interventions: develop effective and economical interventions to lessen STEC risk from cattle, hides, carcasses, and ground and non-intact beef and compare the feasibility of implementing these interventions for large, small and very small beef producers.
• Risk analysis and assessment: develop a risk assessment model for STEC from live cattle to consumption to evaluate mitigation strategies and their expected public health impacts.
• Risk management and communication: translate research findings into user-friendly food-safety deliverables for stakeholders, food safety professionals, regulators, educators and consumers.

Most STEC outbreaks are caused by ingestion of contaminated food and contact with fecal material from cattle and other ruminant animals. Most of what is known about STEC comes from outbreak investigations and studies of E. coli O157. The non-O157 STEC strains are not nearly as well understood, partly because outbreaks due to them are rarely identified. This project will help improve our understanding of these strains in addition to O157 strains.

Keen’s team includes researchers from the University of Arkansas, University of California-Davis, University of California-Tulare, University of Delaware, Kansas State University, New Mexico State University, North Carolina State University, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and a research consortium comprised of government, academic and industry scientists and food safety professionals. The team will also work collaboratively with several consumer groups, cattlemen groups and meat processor associations, along with numerous industry partners and technology providers, to improve the safety of the beef supply.

Through the President's Food Safety Working Group, USDA and its federal partners have been working on a new, public health-focused approach to food safety based on the principles of prevention, strengthening surveillance and enforcement, and improving response. In September 2011, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced a proposal to declare six additional serogroups of pathogenic E. coli as adulterants in non-intact raw beef. Under the proposal, if the serogroups O26, O103, O45, O111, O121 and O145 are found in raw ground beef or its precursors, those products will be prohibited from entering commerce. USDA will launch a testing program to detect these dangerous pathogens and prevent them from reaching consumers.

The coordinated agricultural project grant announced today is through USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) and administered through NIFA. AFRI food safety grants promote and enhance the scientific discipline of food safety, with an overall aim of protecting consumers from microbial, chemical, and physical hazards that may occur during all stages of the food chain, from production to consumption.

AFRI is NIFA’s flagship competitive grant program and was established under the 2008 Farm Bill. AFRI supports work in six priority areas: plant health and production and plant products; animal health and production and animal products; food safety, nutrition and health; renewable energy, natural resources and environment; agriculture systems and technology; and agriculture economics and rural communities.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people’s daily lives and the nation's future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272(voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

USDA Awards Research Grants to Ensure the Sustainability and Quality of America�s Water Supply

Media Contact: Jennifer Martin, (202) 720-8188

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2012–Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding 26 grants for research, education and extension efforts that will help to inform science-based decision-making on water-related issues in communities across the United States. The grants, totaling $13.4 million, are split into two major categories: 17 grants will support integrated research, education and extension work to improve the quality of the nation’s surface and groundwater resources in agricultural, rural and urbanizing watersheds; and nine research grants will address critical water resource issues, including drought preparedness and water reuse in agriculture. The grants are funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

“American communities and rural areas depend upon a safe and reliable water supply,” said Merrigan. “These research projects will help farmers, ranchers and community leaders enhance local economies and environments in agricultural and rural communities. At the same time, drought preparedness and the consideration of novel sources of water will help cities, communities and rural areas across the nation and around the globe adapt to the effects of changing climate on water quality and quantity and better understand water’s role in agro-ecosystems.”

In the first category, 17 grants totaling more than $9 million were awarded by NIFA through the National Integrated Water Quality Program (NIWQP), which aims to solve water resource problems by advancing scientific knowledge about water quality. Funded projects also use the new knowledge gained to develop and disseminate science-based decision making and management practices that improve the surface and groundwater quality in the nation’s watersheds.

Projects funded this year include:

• Cal Poly Corporation, San Luis Obispo, Calif., $234,865
• Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo., $365,000
• Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo., $149,000
• Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo., $17,000
• University of Delaware, Newark, Del., $595,000
• University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., $398,800
• University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., $395,000
• University of Georgia, Athens, Ga., $567,000
• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Ill., $595,000
• Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., $395,000
• Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, $595,000
• Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., $570,000
• Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Miss., $445,000
• Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont., $598,500
• North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C., $595,000
• University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisc., $2,400,000
• University of Rhode Island, Kingstown, R.I., $495,000

Additionally, in Fiscal Year 2011, NIFA, in cooperation with USDA’s Farm Service Agency, solicited proposals for three interrelated projects that address nitrogen cycling in agricultural watersheds. All three projects funded through this special emphasis area are expected to work collaboratively in developing solutions for improving water quality in agricultural watersheds. These projects include the University of Illinois, Iowa State University and the University of Rhode Island.

In the second category, nine grants totaling $4.4 million were awarded by NIFA through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Agricultural Water Sciences foundational program. This program supports research projects and programs that address critical water resource issues in agricultural, rural and urban ecosystems. These projects reflect the growing need to reduce the impacts of more frequent and intense droughts and provide alternative sources of water for irrigated agriculture and other agricultural uses under conditions of shrinking water availability. Projects were funded in California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Michigan, Nebraska and Texas and include:

• University of California, Riverside, Calif., $500,000
• Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo., $499,815
• University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., $486,451
• University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, $499,912
• Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., $492,797
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., $495,888,
• University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb., $500,000
• Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, $498,649,
• Texas A& M University, College Station, Texas, $496,335

AFRI is NIFA's flagship competitive grant program and was established under the 2008 Farm Bill. AFRI supports work in six priority areas: plant health and production and plant products; animal health and production and animal products; food safety, nutrition and health; renewable energy, natural resources and environment; agriculture systems and technology; and agriculture economics and rural communities.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. More information is at www.nifa.usda.gov.

In the past three years, USDA has worked with state and local governments and private landowners to conserve and protect our nation’s natural resources–helping preserve our land and clean our air and water. In 2010, President Obama launched the America’s Great Outdoors initiative to foster a 21st century approach to conservation that is designed by and accomplished in partnership with the American people. During the past two years, USDA’s conservation agencies—NRCS, FSA and the U.S. Forest Service—have delivered technical assistance and implemented restoration practices on public and private lands. At the same time, USDA is working to better target conservation investments to embrace locally driven conservation and entering partnerships that focus on large, landscape-scale conservation. In 2011, USDA enrolled a record number of acres of private working lands in conservation programs, working with more than 500,000 farmers and ranchers to implement conservation practices that clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, and prevent soil erosion.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272(voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

USDA Awards Grants to Universities in 13 States to Improve Food Safety through Research, Education and Extension

Media Contact: Jennifer Martin, (202) 720-8188

EAST LANSING, Michigan, Dec. 7, 2011–Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan visited Michigan State University today to announce that USDA has awarded 17 grants to improve the safety of the food supply in the United States through research, education and extension. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded the grants, totaling $10.4 million, to universities in 13 states to help address a broad spectrum of food safety issues. Michigan State University was awarded three grants in total.

“With millions of Americans contracting food-borne illnesses each year, USDA is committed to supporting research that improves the safety of our nation’s food supply,” said Merrigan. “Primarily, we expect that the research and education spurred by these grants will find solutions to some pressing food safety issues. Additionally, we want to help American consumers, restaurant employees, and teachers put new food safety principles into practice. Ensuring the safety of food is a top priority for USDA, and we will continue to work with our public and private sector partners on developing solutions to decrease potential risks.”

NIFA made the awards through the National Integrated Food Safety Initiative (NIFSI), which addresses a broad spectrum of food safety concerns, from on-farm production, post-harvest processing and distribution, to food selection, preparation and consumption. Focused on integrated approaches to food safety, NIFSI projects combine research at colleges and universities, education in the classroom, and outreach to a variety of groups, including consumers, foodservice workers, teachers, federal agencies, and farmers.

In fiscal year 2011, NIFA awarded $10.4 million to 17 projects in 13 states:

• Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Ala., $100,000
• University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., $542,969
• Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Ga., $100,000
• University of Georgia, Athens, Ga., $535,725
• University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass., $424,878
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., $542,824
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., $543,000
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., $1,809,934
• North Carolina State University, Raleigh., N.C., $541,621
• Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, $1,864,665
• Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla., $543,000
• Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa., $542,607
• Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., $542,999
• Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tenn., $100,000
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn., $542,977
• Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, $540,326
• University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., $541,313

A full list of awardees can be found online at: www.nifa.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2011news/nifsi_awards.html. 

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future.  More information is at www.nifa.usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272(voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

USDA and Defense Department Partner to Support Military Families

Media Contact: Jennifer Martin, (202) 720-8188

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2011 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded two grants for universities to develop programs to train U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) staff in their efforts to support military families. The awards were made by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) as part of the Extension-Military Partnership.

“Each year, our military families face unique challenges as their loved ones serve our nation,” said Chavonda Jacobs-Young, acting NIFA director. “These awards will increase the military’s ability to assist families during the transitions of military life.”

The Extension-Military Partnership was established between USDA and DoD in 2010 to support military service members and their families in their communities. The partnership is focused on cultivating collaborations with educational institutions, non-governmental and community-based organizations, and other groups with expertise in early childhood education, youth development and family studies to support military members and their families.

The University of Arizona in Tucson received a grant through the Military Family Readiness System (MFRS) program, to develop high quality, effective and efficient training resources for Family Center/Family Readiness program staff. The training resources will better prepare military professionals to meet the needs of military members and their families by focusing on a social service delivery system model to be used by all services. The system will be developed as a virtual online platform, resulting in a reduction in costs associated with face-to-face training.

George Washington University in Washington, D.C., received a grant through the Second Language & Culture Exposure for Children and Youth Project, which will develop innovative language and cultural programs for military children. This project will review existing research and program materials and policies related to language and culture opportunities for children (up to age 5), and produce training and program materials that can be used by DoD Child & Youth staff.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272(voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

USDA Supports Agricultural Extension Development in Afghanistan

Media Contact: Jennifer Martin, (202) 720-8188

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2011–The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a $14 million grant to a University of California-Davis-led consortium of universities to assist Afghanistan in strengthening its agricultural extension system. Agriculture employs more than 80 percent of Afghanistan’s labor force and generates more than 40 percent of its economic output. USDA-supported efforts in the country are intended to empower the Afghan government strengthen Afghan-led development. The grant has been awarded through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). 

“The Afghan people rely heavily on a sustainable and profitable agricultural industry for their livelihoods and for the stability of the country,” said Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Catherine Woteki. “Just as the Cooperative Extension System is vital to agriculture in the United States, building a strong extension system in Afghanistan will help strengthen its agriculture sector while serving the needs of the Afghan people.”

UC Davis, along with Purdue University and Washington State University, will work with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) as they attempt to deliver more effective, demand-driven extension services to producers and other rural clientele. The consortium will link MAIL with local university faculty, vocational schools, the private sector and other information providers to develop a viable and credible extension system in Afghanistan. The project will focus on professional development training for extension staff in order to increase extension’s ability to meet farmers’ needs and ultimately build public confidence in MAIL’s capacity to provide critical services.

The project is designed to spur improvements in household food security and income generation through professional training in such areas as postharvest technology for grain and fresh market produce, conservation agriculture for wheat, peri-urban horticulture and practical management of ruminant animals and poultry.

The U.S. Cooperative Extension System is a non-formal educational system that delivers practical, applied science information and educational programs to agricultural producers, land managers, consumers, youth, families, businesses and communities across the United States.  Cooperative extension offices in nearly 3,000 country or tribal administrative units are part of the U.S. land grant university system, and utilize federal, state and local resources to carry out this mission.

NIFA’s Center for International Programs (CIP) will collaborate with USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service in overseeing the implementation of this three-year project. Funding for this project originated with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which transferred funds to capitalize on the unique resources of USDA and its land-grant institution partners to strengthen Afghanistan’s MAIL extension system.

NIFA’s CIP assists U.S. universities and other institutions as they seek to strengthen the global dimension of their research, education and extension programs. Recognizing the domestic benefits derived from international collaboration, CIP has facilitated university involvement in several development projects around the world and provided grants for U.S. universities to internationalize their programs. 

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future.  More information is at: www.nifa.usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272(voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

USDA Expands People�s Garden Initiative to Sow Seeds for Community-Based Agriculture across the Country

Media Contact: Office of Communications, (202) 720-4623

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2011–Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan visited a community garden in Baltimore today to announce 10 grants to support 155 People’s Gardens in neighborhoods from Maryland to Hawaii, continuing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)  efforts to combat malnutrition while supporting local and regional food systems. These sustainable community gardens will give residents direct access to fresh fruits and vegetables in underserved neighborhoods. A lack of access to fresh and nutritious food fuels obesity and domestic food insecurity—a condition where households experience limited or uncertain access to adequate food.

“The simple act of planting a garden can help unite neighborhoods around a common effort and inspire communities to find solutions to challenges facing our country—from hunger to the environment,” said Merrigan. “The People’s Garden Initiative has demonstrated that one direct and effective way of improving food access is to plant a garden. Since establishing our People’s Garden Initiative, we’re excited to see more and more people working together to create nurturing communities around these sources of nutritious food.”

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) manages the People’s Garden Grant Program (PGGP), with funding from the Agriculture Marketing Service, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The grants announced today, totaling $725,000, are the first awards given under the PGGP. USDA received more than 360 proposals requesting more than $4 million.

PGGP was designed to invest in urban and rural areas identified as food deserts or food insecure areas, particularly those with persistent poverty. In addition, PGGP seeks to address health issues closely related to malnutrition, including food insecurity, obesity, diabetes and heart disease, through onsite education programs.

Projects were funded in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan and Ohio. Grants were awarded to:

• Homer Soil and Water Conservation District, Alaska, $110,500
• Arizona Board of Regents, University of Arizona, Arizona, $5,000
• Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, California, $29,000
• Denver Urban Gardens, Colorado, $70,000
• Knox Parks Foundation, Inc., Connecticut, $50,000
• Heritage Ranch, Inc., Hawaii, $110,500
• Alliance for Community Trees, Inc., Maryland, $150,000
• Towson University, Maryland, $60,000
• Calhoun Conservation District, Michigan, $70,000
• Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, Ohio, $70,000

The People’s Garden Initiative is a grass roots effort to grow healthy food, people and communities. There are more than 1,400 People’s Gardens across the nation, three U.S. territories and nine foreign countries. USDA is working with over 600 local organizations to create school gardens, community gardens and small-scale agriculture projects in urban and rural areas, collectively referred to as community-based agriculture.

People's Gardens are located at faith-based centers, on federal leased or owned property, at schools and other places within communities. All produce grown at a People's Garden on USDA owned or leased property is donated to help those in need. To date, the People’s Garden has donated over 1 million pounds of produce to local food banks, food kitchens and other charitable organizations through their ‘Share Your Harvest’ campaign, whereby USDA invites partners to share their harvests with neighborhood food pantries, kitchens and shelters, which helps improve access to healthy, affordable food at a local level. Search the People's Gardens Interactive Map to find out where our gardens are located. To learn more or to register your community garden as a People’s Garden, visit www.usda.gov/peoplesgarden.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272(voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).