A look at what kinds of farms make up the majority of production. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Large-scale family farms accounted for a majority of the value of commodity production in 2022, according to a new report from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). Specifically, these farms accounted for 51 percent of cash grains and soybeans, 56 …
Most States Saw Growth in Net Farm Income During 2022
The U.S. saw growth of almost 31 percent in net farm income from 2021 through 2022. NFI is a broad measure of farm sector profitability. Researchers with USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) used data from the Farm Income and Wealth Statistics to classify states into six categories of NFI changes. The five agricultural states with the highest NFI include Texas, …
PPP Loans Provided Billions to U.S. Farm Sector in 2020
How much pandemic help did farmers get? That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Researchers at USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) estimate that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provided $5.8 billion to the farm sector in 2020. The PPP was a non-USDA assistance program for small businesses adversely affected by the pandemic. Total Federal Government payments to the farm …
Majority of U.S. Apples Used in Juices
How the U.S. uses most of its apples. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. There are a lot of ways to eat them – pies, cobblers, crisps, with peanut butter, or cheese or made into sauce or cider. However, new data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) shows a majority of apples are used in juices. In 2021, …
Few US Adults Rate Their Diet Good or Excellent
How good is your diet? Few of us would say it’s excellent. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. New data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) show Americans don’t have high ratings for their diets. In the period covering January 2017 to March 2020, just under three in ten adults, or 29 percent, reported the healthfulness of their …
Ag Labor Expenses Forecast to Increase in 2023
The cost of ag labor is expected to rise. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Total cash labor expenses for the U.S. agriculture sector are forecast to be $43.35 billion for 2023, based on new data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). This would be an increase of $0.78 billion, or 1.8 percent, over the 2022 level of …
Nearly Half of Potatoes Now Go into Frozen Products
New Data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) shows the majority of potatoes in the United States are now sold in processed forms such as frozen, chipped, dehydrated, or canned. With the introduction of french fries as a key side dish in quick-service restaurants, the share of potatoes that go into frozen products has risen in each decade since 1979. …
California Continues to Lead U.S. Peach Harvest
What state is the leader in peach production? The answer may surprise you. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. While Georgia is on many consumers’ minds when it comes to fresh, juicy peaches, California is by far the largest peach-producing state in the United States. USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) reports that last year, California’s harvest yielded 475,000 …
Adult Obesity Rates Increased During First Year of Pandemic
If you gained a bit of weight during the pandemic, you weren’t alone. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. New data from USDA’s Economic Research Service shows that adult obesity increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Broad efforts to contain COVID-19 included travel, work, and social restrictions. Such behavioral adjustments disrupted the dietary and activity …
Income Spent on Food Increases
We spent more of our income on food in 2022. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. U.S. consumers spent an average of 11.3 percent of their disposable personal income on food in 2022, a level not observed since the 1980s, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). Disposable personal income is the amount of money consumers have left …