Six farmers from the Golden State, with help from conservationists at USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Audubon California, have resulted in saving more than 65,000 rare tricoloredblackbirds. The farmers, from Tulare and Kern County, are members of Western United Dairymen (WUD).

FamilyMart, a Japanese convenience store chain with more than 9,500 outlets, has teamed with the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) to revamp the company’s menu with high-quality U.S. beef. The two groups — with check-off funding from the Texas Beef Council, Oklahoma Beef Council and the Beef Checkoff Program and support from the USDA Market Access Program — created a 10-item U.S. beef menu that includes a bento (lunch) box, rice bowl, salad, sandwich, soba noodle, sushi and soup.