USDA

A company that wants to turn grass grown on North Carolina hog farms into motor fuel is getting the federal backing it wants to build an ethanol plant. Full story...

The nation's school districts are turning up their noses at "pink slime," the beef product that caused a public uproar earlier this year. The US Department of Agriculture says the vast majority of states participating in its National School Lunch Program have opted to order ground beef that doesn't contain the product known as lean finely textured beef. Full story...

The deadline is approaching for North Carolinians to join in a class action lawsuit that alleges the US Department of Agriculture unfairly denied loans to black farmers in the 1980s and 1990s. Full story...

There's no "pink slime" on the menu any more at school in Columbus County. The county's two school districts have stopped using beef from the USDA. Full story...

The Agriculture Department says that starting next fall, schools can stop feeding students a common ammonia-treated ground beef filler dubbed "pink slime" by critics. Full story...

Farmers who belong to the Lumbee Indian Tribe have begun filing claims now that a nationwide discrimination case involving the federal government has been settled. Full story...

The USDA has released new dietary guidelines that they say will help families plan healthier meals. Full story...

The US Department of Agriculture is lowering its temperature recommendation for cooking pork to 145 degrees. That's a drop of 15 degrees and a change from the agency's longstanding guideline. Full story...

Rep. Mike McIntyre and USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon came to Bladen County to celebrate National Nutrition Month. During their visit to Elizabeth Primary School, McIntyre and Concannon spoke to students and faculty about the importance of nutrition in public schools. Full story...