Newsroom

Under Secretary Dr. Catherine Woteki today announced new research grants and cooperative agreement awards in eight states and the District of Columbia designed to examine, evaluate and enhance USDA's nutrition assistance programs.

Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced investments across the country to help children develop positive nutrition and physical activity habits that can lead to healthier lifestyles. The grants will provide nutrition education materials, resources for children and parents, and technical assistance and training for school food service providers and communities participating in the National School Lunch and Child and Adult Care Food Programs. 

USDA FNS Under Secretary announced the results of USDA's Household Food Security in the United States, 2010 report that found that the percentage of very low food security declined from 5.7 percent of households in 2009 to 5.4 percent in 2010. 

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Administrator Audrey Rowe yesterday announced the winner of First Lady Michelle Obama's Recipes for Healthy Kids competition. The contest launched last year to challenge students, parents and other interested community members to create tasty and healthy new recipes for America's school cafeteria menus.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service and FNS will conduct a pilot for acquiring fresh fruits and vegetables to build on farm-to-school programs in Florida and Michigan. The pilot will use commercial distribution models already in place and allow schools to obtain locally grown produce.

USDA announced today that Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee were selected to participate in the initial year of an innovative universal free meal service option that makes it easier for low-income children to receive meals in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. 

Secretary Tom Vilsack today applauded The Office of the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative and the launch of Let's Move! in Indian Country. LMIC is an effort designed to support and advance the work that tribal leaders and community members are already doing to improve the health of American Indian and Alaska Native children.

Secretary Tom Vilsack welcomed St. Louis Rams Quarterback Sam Bradford to the Department today and joined him in urging Native American youth to spend the summer pursuing healthy outdoor activities. 

Today, Under Secretary Kevin Concannon announced that USDA's child nutrition programs are implementing new rules designed to encourage use of local farm products in school meals. The final rule, published in the Federal Register, will let schools and other providers give preference to unprocessed locally grown and locally raised agricultural products as they purchase food for the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, Special Milk, Child and Adult Care, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable, and Summer Food Service programs. The rule is part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 signed into law by President Obama and one of the key provisions to bolster farm to school programs across the country.

Today,  FNCS Under Secretary Kevin Concannon toured a local WIC clinic and highlight the impact of recent legislation reauthorizing the program. Concannon was joined by FNS Western Regional Administrator Allen Ng, at the visit to a clinic run by the largest WIC agency in the country, which serves approximately 4 percent of the nation's total and 23 percent of California's WIC recipients. 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today made a statement on the proposed FY 2012 budget.

Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today joined Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Paul Davis, acting director of AmeriCorps VISTA, and Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, to swear-in 46 members of the new National Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps, an AmeriCorps VISTA project. The new VISTA volunteers will work in both rural and urban areas in 18 states as part of a public-private partnership to increase access to the SNAP for Americans in need.

USDA People's Garden Director Livia Marqués, Washington Capitals Defensemen and 2011 NHL All-Star Mike Green, Comcast SportsNet analyst Alan May and Powell Elementary School Principal Janeece Docal launched a People's Garden Workshop today to design a garden at the school. Teachers, parents and every student in the school – 289 children from pre-Kindergarten to 4th grade – participated in the design process led by USDA employees.

USDA today announced that children placed into the foster care system by a state or court are categorically eligible to receive free meals in all USDA child nutrition programs. The expansion of categorical eligibility to foster children is a component of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 which President Obama signed into law Dec. 13, 2010.