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The dusty blue coating on blueberries is not dirt; USDA researchers say the wax helps defend against disease and prevents the fruit from drying out after harvestThe dusty coating on blueberries is a natural protective wax. This bloom shields the fruit from disease and prevents drying out. Researcher...- Science says older eggs are easier to peel, here’s what happens inside the shell as they ageFresh eggs generally have a lower albumen pH and stronger adhesion between the cooked egg white and shell membrane. Research has repeatedly...
- A Michigan farmer reclaimed his family’s 131 acres after decades apart and found a way to keep homes off the land foreverJohn Boyer grew up around his family's 131 acres near East Jordan, Michigan, but the farmland eventually passed out of the family. In 2018,...
- Prineville built a 120-acre wetland instead of a new wastewater plant; the Oregon system cost $7.7 million and saved the city $54 million versus conventional treatmentPrineville, Oregon, built a wetland wastewater system after population growth strained its capacity. This innovative approach cost $7.7 mil...
- In 2006, Kentucky identified nutrient problems along 12.8 miles of Fleming Creek. 18 years later, monitoring showed the stream could fully support its aquatic lifeFleming Creek in northeast Kentucky has moved from nutrient-related impairment to full support for its warm water aquatic habitat designate...
- In Massachusetts, Bar-Way Farm digests 36,500 tons of food waste and 9,125 tons of manure every year, producing enough electricity for 900 homesIn Deerfield, Massachusetts, Bar-Way Farm is leading the charge in renewable energy by harnessing food waste and cow manure to create elect...
- In 2013, Farmers RECC secured a $1 million USDA loan to capture landfill methane in Glasgow, Kentucky. 7 years later, the plant reached full capacity, powering 547 homesGlasgow landfill project ultimately offers a compelling lesson in how communities can rethink waste, energy and environmental responsibilit...
- In 2001, USDA researchers released salvinia weevils in Texas and Louisiana; by 2003, weed cover had fallen near release sites while untreated controls stayed chokedA tiny weevil has proven to be a powerful ally in the battle against giant salvinia, an invasive aquatic weed. Tested in Texas and Louisian...
- Why is Ohio spending $200,000 on refrigerated trailers for deer? The surprising plan could solve 3 growing problems at onceOhio is rolling out an unusual new deer management program that will use five refrigerated trailers to collect donated deer during key hunt...
- USDA field pilots replaced most woodchips with corn cobs in nitrate bioreactors; the 75% corn-cob beds removed nitrate up to 10 times fasterField pilots have demonstrated that corn cobs are highly effective in removing nitrates from farm drainage water. These innovative bioreact...
- In 2012, Alaska counted 58 pigeon guillemots on Naked Island as mink threatened nests. 11 years later following restoration, their numbers had jumped nearly 400%, reaching 288 birds in 2023Pigeon guillemot numbers on Alaska's Naked Island Group have significantly increased. This recovery followed a multiyear effort to remove i...
- In 1772, Benjamin Franklin sent Chinese tallow seeds to Savannah, Georgia; the government planted more along the Gulf in 1900, and the tree now covers 185,000 hectaresIn the late 1700s, a shipment of 1772 seeds sparked a significant invasion of non-native trees across southern U.S. forests. The federal pl...
- In 1888, USDA sent an entomologist to Australia to collect vedalia beetles for California’s cottony cushion scale; within a year, the pest had sharply declinedThe cottony cushion scale insect threatened California's citrus growers with devastation. The USDA took action by sending a scientist to Au...
- Tyson Foods closes beef plants in Joslin, Illinois and Utah, lays off over 3,200 workers as historic US cattle shortage hits meat giant hardTyson Foods is closing its beef plants in Joslin, Illinois, and Eagle Mountain, Utah, affecting more than 3,200 workers as a historic US ca...
- In 2022, moving solar panels shielded French apple trees from extreme sun, cutting sunburned fruit from 13% to 2%A study by French scientists indicates that the use of solar panels can drastically lessen sunburn injuries on apples, reducing the damage ...
- In 1914, USDA researchers imported Australian melaleuca seeds into the United States. 100 years later, the fast-growing tree had conquered 500,000 acres of South Florida after being planted to help dry the EvergladesAustralian melaleuca seeds were imported to the United States in 1914 for agricultural purposes. Later, the Army Corps of Engineers planted...
- After someone planted golden bamboo beside an Oʻahu road, the single ornamental planting escaped and grew into a 1-acre patch, crowding out native plantsGolden bamboo, once a beloved addition to gardens, is now recognized as an invasive menace. Its rapid growth through underground rhizomes t...
- After 8 years in US Marine Corps, including Iraq deployment, he fell in love with farming in Arkansas. He credits military training for successAfter eight years in the US Marine Corps, including an Iraq deployment, Travis Appel found a new calling in farming after studying at the U...
- Since 1997, Florida has released Australian insects to help control melaleuca in the Everglades; its invaded range has shrunk by nearly 75% alongside herbicide and mechanical removalIn Florida's Everglades, Australian insects played a crucial role in curbing the spread of invasive melaleuca trees. By targeting these tre...
- In 1988, USDA scientists released just 88 flea beetles in North Dakota; their descendants multiplied into hundreds of millions across North AmericaIn North Dakota, a targeted release of flea beetles marked the beginning of a successful biological control initiative. These beetles flour...
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