Inflation is having an impact on another industry. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Inflation continued to impact organic fresh produce sales in the first quarter of 2023. Overall dollar sales grew by slightly less than one percent, and volume declined by 3.4 percent from the same year-over-year period. The data was released by the Organic Produce Network …
Restaurant Landscape Changing in Rural America
Restaurant options in rural America keep growing. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The food-away-from-home retail landscape continues to evolve. USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) recently examined the changing food-away-from-home landscape in nonmetropolitan counties between 1990 and 2019, with a focus on the most rural counties. As of 1990, full-service restaurants were the most common restaurant type, making …
Natural Gas May Get More Expensive in the Future
You may pay more for one type of energy in the future. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Natural gas is an important source of energy for U.S. farms. While U.S. natural gas futures prices have fallen sharply recently, CoBank says higher prices and increased volatility could be on the long-term horizon as the energy transition accelerates and …
U.S. Dairy Leading on Climate Coalition
U.S. dairy takes the lead in a climate coalition. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) have signed a set of principles and a new partnership with National Agricultural Organizations from several other countries. The goal is to constructively engage governments and international organizations around the …
The Number of Dairy Herds Fell in 2022
There were fewer dairy herds in 2022. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. A USDA report says roughly six percent of U.S. dairy farms quit milking cows in 2022, but that was a slower rate of decline than during the past five years. Twenty years ago, there were 70,375 dairy herds in the country. In 2022, there were …
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Open to Public
You can be part of the process of creating new dietary guidelines. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) will host the second full meeting of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on May 10, 2023. The meeting will be livestreamed for public viewing. Members of the …
Taylor Leads USDA Trade Mission to the Netherlands
A U.S. trade mission to the Netherlands. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor launched the first-ever regional agribusiness trade mission to the Netherlands in Amsterdam. The delegation includes representatives from 31 agribusiness and farm organizations and ten state departments of agriculture. The group aims to expand economic …
Ford Phasing Out AM Radios Globally
It’s not just the U.S. that is losing access to AM radio in some vehicles. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Ford Canada confirms that it’s removing AM radios from all vehicles globally. Ford’s Canadian division says Canada will no longer have access to the AM band in upcoming vehicles. Radio Ink Dot Com says it’s the first …
U.S. Potato Exports Hit $2.1 Billion in 2022
It was a big year for potatoes. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Potato exports reached a record $2.1 billion in sales in 2022. Compared to 2021, volume sales dropped 4.2 percent but were higher than in 2018 and 2020. The value of U.S. potato exports rose across all potato types, resulting in an 11 percent increase over …
Health Benefits of Gardening
Gardening can be good for you. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. According to the National Garden Bureau, there are several ways gardening is good for us. Here are five of them. The National Garden Bureau was founded more than a century ago and strives to educate, inspire, and motivate people to grow home gardens. Listen to Sabrina Halvorson’s …