agroecology

A farmworker labors in a strawberry field as irrigation systems spray water around them in Ventura, CA. Drought conditions are visible in the background.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

October 16, 2025

Ask a Scientist: How Do We Solve California’s Water Shortage Crisis?

Michelle Rama-Poccia
Bilingual Writer and Podcast Host

A white man wearing a casual button-down shirt is holding a bunch of multicolored carrots with the greens still on. They look recently picked.

Andrew Scheer/Flickr

November 27, 2023

Why Do Baby Carrots Drink So Much Water?

UCS Science Network

photo of a sign next to a rural road. It reads "The Next Farm Bill" at the top, and "Town Hall" below, with an arrow pointing away from the road.

Lance Cheung/USDA

February 9, 2023

Six Reasons Why You Should Care about the (So-Called) Farm Bill

Karen Perry Stillerman
Deputy Director

photo of a slice of pecan pie on a red and white plate in the foreground, with a snowman mug in the background

Karen Elliott Edleson/Flickr

December 20, 2022

Nuts, Drought, and My Quest for the Perfect Pecan Pie

Karen Perry Stillerman
Deputy Director

A person holds up an enormous zucchini, smiling (the person, not the zucchini). They are part of the Institute of American Indian Arts, a Land-Grant Tribal College and University. They are Land-Grant program Gardner Teresa Kaulaity Quintana (Kiowa), who leads the gardening team, operations, instruction and outreach for all things related the campus demonstration garden and greenhouse, in Santa Fe, NM. Photo taken on Sept. 11, 2019.

Lance Cheung, USDA/Flickr

December 6, 2022

How Should the USDA Spend its Research Budget? (We Have Some Ideas.)

Alice Reznickova
Former Contributor

USDA

September 16, 2021

Sustainable Nutrition Science Could Help Solve Climate and Health Crises. Why Isn’t the Federal Government Funding More of It?

Sarah Reinhardt
Former Contributor

Lance Cheung/USDA

March 6, 2020

6 Ways the Agricultural Resilience Act Equips Farmers to Fight the Climate Crisis with Science

Marcia DeLonge
Former Contributor

icon0/Pexels

February 14, 2020

On Valentine’s Day, a Love Letter to Legumes

Sarah Reinhardt
Former Contributor

Lance Cheung/USDA

September 9, 2019

United Nations Panel Says Farmers are a Key to Managing Climate Change

Marcia DeLonge
Former Contributor

Before switching to no-till, farmer Gary Hula described the soil as having the consistency of flour. Just four years later and the structure and moisture in the soil is undeniable. Photo courtesy USDA/Flickr

April 8, 2019

Farmers Are Excited About Soil Health. That’s Good News for All of Us.

Karen Perry Stillerman
Deputy Director

USDA photo by Preston Keres

January 31, 2019

Why We Can’t Separate Justice and Sustainability in the Food System

Rafter Ferguson
Former Contributor

Photo: IIP Photo Archive/Flickr

October 10, 2018

With The Farm Bill Expired, Will Science Stall?

Marcia DeLonge
Former Contributor

September 5, 2018

Why the Farm Bill Should Invest in Agroecology Research: An Interview with Dr. Selena Ahmed

Mike Lavender
Former Contributor

Photo: Paige Stanley

August 22, 2018

What Congress Does Next Could Cost Farmers and Taxpayers Billions

UCS Science Network

USDA

August 3, 2018

At the Trump USDA, the “D” Stands for “Dow”

Karen Perry Stillerman
Deputy Director

Preston Keres/USDA

June 12, 2018

We Ranked All 50 States from Farm to Fork. Why We Bothered—and a Taste of Our Takeaways

Marcia DeLonge
Former Contributor

U.S. Marine Corps veteran Calvin Riggleman holds an oregano seedling and soil on Bigg Riggs farm in Hampshire County, WV

Photo: Lance Cheung, USDA

April 18, 2018

Will Congress Give Farmers the Farm Bill They Want?

Karen Perry Stillerman
Deputy Director

Nick Ohde /Practical Farmers of Iowa

April 3, 2018

Crop Diversity: A Nice Thing If You Can Get It (and You Can Get It If You Try)

UCS Science Network

USDA

March 29, 2018

Room for Ruminants in a Sustainable Future? Taking a Step Back to Find More Steps Forward

Marcia DeLonge
Former Contributor

Farmer using diverse cover crops and animal grazing to build soil health.

Photo: USDA/Ron Nichols

March 29, 2018

Regenerative Farming Trailblazers: How Reintegrating Livestock and Restoring Soils Can Lead to More Resilient Farms

Marcia DeLonge
Former Contributor

USDA-SARE/Edwin Remsberg

December 21, 2017

As a Government Funding Deadline Looms, Scientists Seek Support for Agroecology Research

Mike Lavender
Former Contributor

December 5, 2017

It’s World Soil Day: Celebrate Soil, Carbon, and the Opportunities Right Under Our Feet

Marcia DeLonge
Former Contributor

A. Eyring

October 31, 2017

Scientists to Senate: Reject Sam Clovis for USDA Science Post

Karen Perry Stillerman
Deputy Director

David’ R Montgomery showing the change in his garden’s soil as a result of his wife Anne’s gardening.

August 22, 2017

The Soil Solution: One Reason to be Optimistic About the Environment is Right Beneath Our Feet

UCS Science Network