fruit

Apples and Oranges Top U. S. Fruit Choices

Dan Citrus, Fruits, Orange Juice, Research, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

These are the top fruit choices in the United States. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Apples held the top spot for total fruit available for consumption in 2021 at more than 26 pounds per person after adjusting for losses. USDA’s Economic Research Service’s (ERS) loss-adjusted food availability data adjusts the data for food spoilage, plate waste, and …

farm income

Economic Research Service: Farm Income Decline Varies by Region

Dan Economy, USDA-ERS

After reaching recent highs in 2021 and 2022, the average net cash income of U.S. farm businesses is expected to decline by 18 percent in 2023 compared with 2022. Farm businesses across the country are forecast to see higher production expenses, lower cash receipts, and lower Government payments in 2023, resulting in lower expected average net cash farm income. However, …

farm bill

Ag Exports in 2021 Generate Billions in Economic Activity

Dan Economy, Exports/Imports, This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

How much do ag exports contribute to the nation’s economic activity? That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. A new USDA report says exports constitute a significant market for American farm and food products and send ripples of activity through the nation’s economy. The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) says America’s agricultural exports, valued at $177.3 billion in 2021, …

farm sector

Farm Sector Real Estate Debt Hits Record High

Dan Economy, USDA-ERS

New data from USDA’s Economic Research Service shows farm sector debt tied to real estate is expected to be at a record high of $375.9 billion in 2023. Farm sector real estate debt has been increasing continuously since 2009 and is expected to reach an amount that is 87.5 percent higher in 2023 compared with 2009 in inflation-adjusted dollars. Real …

federal recommendations

Federal Recommendations on Nutrients Differ from Consumer Intake

Dan This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

A look into the nutrients we’re taking in, and how they compare to federal recommendations. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. U.S. consumers’ intakes of several key nutrients differ from Federal recommendations, and those differences are associated with where they obtain food. Researchers from USDA’s Economic Research Service examined diet patterns based on density—amounts of nutrients consumed per …

aada

USDA: Meat and Dairy Production Lead Food Sector Sales

Dan Beef, Cattle, Dairy, Marketing, USDA-ERS

New data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) shows meat processing and dairy product manufacturing are the largest components of food sector sales. Food and beverage manufacturing plants transform raw food commodities into products for intermediate or final consumption by using labor, machinery, energy, and scientific knowledge. These plants accounted for nearly $267 billion or 16.8 percent of sales, shipment …

gcc

Number of U.S. Farms Continues to Decline

Dan Agri-Business, USDA-ERS

New data released this week by USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) shows the number of U.S. farms continues to decline. After peaking at 6.8 million farms in 1935, the number of U.S. farms and ranches fell sharply through the early 1970s. Researchers say the rapidly falling farm numbers in the mid-20th century reflect the growing productivity of agriculture, increased mechanization, …

dining out

Restaurant Landscape Changing in Rural America

Dan This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

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 …

beginning

Beginning Farm Operations Tend to be in the South and West

Dan This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

There are two regions where new farmers are more concentrated. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Beginning farms tend to be more concentrated in Southern and Western States than in other areas of the United States, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). Data published Monday by ERS shows that in some counties in California and Texas, the …