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 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 …

Is U.S. Losing Trade Competitiveness?

Dan Agri-Business, Exports/Imports, This Land of Ours, Trade, USDA-ERS

The U.S. remains the top exporter of a few commodities, but the competition is getting closer. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released a report on the competitiveness of U.S. exports, and it shows while we’re still top in some categories, the competition is getting hotter. The report says that export shares …

Meat Plants Employed Nearly 31% of U.S. Food Workers in 2021

Dan Agri-Business, Beef, Cattle, Livestock, Marketing, Pork, Poultry, Sheep-Goats, USDA-ERS

The latest federal data shows that in 2021, the U.S. food and beverage manufacturing sector employed 1.7 million people, or more than 1.1 percent of all U.S. nonfarm employment. Within the U.S. manufacturing sector, food and beverage manufacturing accounted for the largest share of employees, 15.4 percent. USDA’s Economic Research Service Monday announced the data, noting that these employees help …

Price of Chicken Wings Easing in Time for the Big Games

Dan Poultry, This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

It’s a break for the piggy-bank just in time for the big games. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Retail prices for chicken wings have been trending lower in recent months and in time for national sporting events such as the upcoming Super Bowl and the college basketball championship tournaments. Previously, a combination of limited supplies and strong …

Study Shows Rotational Grazing Adoption Varies by Region

Dan Cattle, Pasture, This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

A study sheds light on grazing practices around the nation. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Data published Monday by USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) shows rotational grazing adoption varies by region. Rotational grazing is a management practice in which livestock are cycled through multiple fenced grazing areas to manage forage production, forage quality, animal health, and environmental …

Substantial Consolidation in Retail Food Market Since 1990

Dan Agri-Business, This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

There’s been substantial consolidation in the retail food market in the last thirty years. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The U.S. food retail sector experienced substantial consolidation over the last three decades, according to data from USDA’s Economic Research Service. Market concentration, as measured by the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, is a measure of the extent to which market …

Rural Job Growth Shifting to High-Skill Workers

Dan Agri-Business, Labor and Immigration, This Land of Ours, USDA-ERS

There’s a shift in rural jobs. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Over the last two decades, the strongest rural job gains were in smaller industries that tend to employ high-skill workers. USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) reports the highest growth was in the real estate industry. According to experts like CALC job placement services, also showing rapid …