U.S. Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
75th Anniversary 
[Running time:  ~ 1:40]

Welcome and thanks for listening to focus on ag research from the Agricultural Research Service or A-R-S.  A-R-S is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific research agency.
It’s a time of celebration for four A-R-S centers that are turning 75 within the year. Constructed between 1940 and 1941, the centers are located in California, Louisiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania. 

Research at these locations focuses on making good use of leftover byproducts of food, feed, fuel and fiber crops. Frozen orange juice concentrate, lactose-free milk, and wash-and-wear cotton fabrics are a small sample of products we enjoy today, thanks to innovative work at these centers.

Each location performs research on agriculture specific to its region. For example, the Eastern Regional Research Center develops new and improved uses for animal byproducts, such as milk, hides and wool. The Southern Regional Research Center focuses on cotton and sugarcane. The National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research studies corn and soybeans. And the Western Regional Research Center works on weeds, wheat, and potato breeding. 

In addition, each center conducts research on bioenergy, food processing and food safety.

That’s our podcast for today. To learn more about research at these centers, visit AgResearch magazine at www.agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov.