Read more Department of Agriculture stories on Newserhttp://www.newser.com/taggrid/23565/department-of-agriculture.html2009 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorTue, 24 Nov 2009 9:41:46 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/65209/smokey-bears-fire-still-burning-at-65.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagHe turns 65 this year, but Smokey Bear’s nowhere near extinguished, the Los Angeles Times reports. The mascot remains as fiercely beloved by baby boomers as he is fiercely protected by the government: Federal law keeps his image from unauthorized use, which can result in a $150,000 fine. Annually,...http://www.newser.com/story/65209/smokey-bears-fire-still-burning-at-65.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagFri, 24 Jul 2009 9:24:51 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/63461/organic-foods-may-not-be-as-pure-as-you-think.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagDemand for organic food has boomed into a $23 billion-a-year industry, but consumers who often pay twice as much for food with the coveted label aren't always getting what they expect. The criteria for obtaining a "USDA Organic" certification have been relaxed in recent years, with ostensibly organic products from...http://www.newser.com/story/63461/organic-foods-may-not-be-as-pure-as-you-think.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagFri, 03 Jul 2009 8:45:01 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/57540/virus-wary-egypt-to-destroy-all-300k-pigs.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThe Egyptian government says it will immediately slaughter the country’s entire population of 300,000 pigs to protect against the swine flu, the AP reports. Egypt has stressed that it has no reported cases of the virus, though two infections have been confirmed in neighboring Israel. The move comes as...http://www.newser.com/story/57540/virus-wary-egypt-to-destroy-all-300k-pigs.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWed, 29 Apr 2009 9:16:57 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/57463/mineral-overdose-killed-polo-horses-officials.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagFlorida officials say a mineral overdose is the probable cause of death for 21 Venezuelan-owned polo horses that fell ill as they prepared for a championship match earlier this month. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said today the animals likely overdosed on selenium, a common mineral that...http://www.newser.com/story/57463/mineral-overdose-killed-polo-horses-officials.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagTue, 28 Apr 2009 15:03:59 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/50013/peanut-corp-banned-from-federal-work.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThe Peanut Corporation of America was barred today from government contracts for a year as the criminal investigation into a deadly salmonella outbreak sourced to its Georgia plant gathers steam, Reuters reports. “The company lacks business integrity and business honesty,” steamed a Department of Agriculture spokesman. The PCA’s chief was...http://www.newser.com/story/50013/peanut-corp-banned-from-federal-work.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThu, 05 Feb 2009 12:05:01 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/46191/feds-may-use-food-stamps-to-improve-nutrition.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThe Obama White House may move to revamp food aid so it encourages healthy eating, reports the Washington Post . One idea gaining favor: Double the value of food stamps if they're used to buy fruits and vegetables. While anti-hunger advocates have long objected to such government meddling, opposition is softening...http://www.newser.com/story/46191/feds-may-use-food-stamps-to-improve-nutrition.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWed, 24 Dec 2008 13:57:20 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/45604/obama-adds-centrists-salazar-vilsack-to-cabinet.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagBarack Obama added Ken Salazar and Tom Vilsack to his growing list of Cabinet appointments today, tapping the noted centrists as secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture respectively. “It is time for a new kind of leadership in Washington that's committed to using our lands in a responsible way,” Obama...http://www.newser.com/story/45604/obama-adds-centrists-salazar-vilsack-to-cabinet.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWed, 17 Dec 2008 13:07:00 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/45510/obama-to-pick-iowa-ex-gov-vilsack-for-agriculture.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagFormer Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack will be Barack Obama's pick for agriculture secretary, CNN reports. Obama is expected to make the announcement tomorrow. Vilsack himself briefly ran for president before dropping out and campaigning for Hillary Clinton. As a two-term governor, Vilsack backed renewable energy and sought to develop the...http://www.newser.com/story/45510/obama-to-pick-iowa-ex-gov-vilsack-for-agriculture.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagTue, 16 Dec 2008 18:27:22 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/45018/forget-agriculture-we-need-a-secretary-of-food.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagOnce upon a time, more than one-third of Americans worked on farms, and a Department of Agriculture seemed logical. These days just 2% of Americans work the land, and the factory-farm lobby dictates agriculture policy, writes New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. To help remedy the situation, Kristof contends, Barack...http://www.newser.com/story/45018/forget-agriculture-we-need-a-secretary-of-food.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThu, 11 Dec 2008 10:33:00 CST