The Office of Technology Transfer

As most of you know I work for the Department of Agriculture, also known as the USDA. I work in the Office of Technology Transfer in the Agriculural Research Services Division. My office is responsible for getting technology into the hands of companies, in an effort to better our world. Sounds like a good party line, aye?

For example...I am sure you are grateful for your Huggies, Pampers, or Luvs that keep your child's you know what in their diapers? Well, the Office of Technology Transfer would be responsible for getting this technology into the hands of those companies to keep your babies leak free. My office was also responsible for sharing the technology that keeps the apples in a bag at McDonald's from turning brown before your little one gets them in their Happy Meal. In a nut shell, my office handles the legal side of passing this science along to the world.

I have yet to take a tour of the USDA campus located in Beltsville, MD. The campus includes several labs, farms, and crops....Otherwise TONS of research on agriculutral things. One of the things on the tour is a cow with a glass stomach.

Sometimes we burn documents in the incinerator because it's faster than shredding. Let's just say there is no telling what you will see. We always ask one of the guys in the back to go, and then quiz him. I won't tell you what has been in there unless you ask me. There are actually USDA labs all over the country. Some are only USDA facilities and others are partnered with universities. I know USDA partners with Mississippi State and Ole Miss. There is also a research facility in Stoneville, MS.

HOWEVER...this is not what I intended to blog about, so I will have to get to my original intent in my next entry!