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 …
USDA Research: Increasing Vegetable Consumption May Better Mental Health
New research finds that increasing vegetable consumption has a positive effect on how happy a person feels. USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) says that holds true for adults who consume the daily amount of vegetable servings recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Researchers at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center conducted the eight-week study. The study divided healthy …
Research Shows Vegetables May Help Mental Health
Are you working on taking care of your mental health? Add another serving of vegetables to your dinner plate. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. And if you or someone you know needs more intensive support, exploring Phoenix adolescent residential treatment for teen mental health can provide specialized care and resources to address mental health challenges effectively. These …
Eating Almonds Before Meals May Help Lower Blood Sugar
Eating a handful of this nut before meals may help lower blood sugar. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Two new research studies with almonds, one conducted over three days and the other over three months, demonstrated benefits to blood sugar control for Asian Indians with prediabetes and overweight/obesity – and the three-month almond intervention broke new ground, …
Vidalia Onion Season Date Announced
A favorite sweet onion heads to supermarkets soon. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The start of Vidalia onion season is almost here, with the official pack date announced by the Georgia Agriculture Commissioner and Vidalia Onion Committee. Vidalia onion fans across the country can mark their calendars for April 17, when the sweet onions are set to …
Breeding Better Potatoes for Better Potato Chips
Breeding better potatoes for better potato chips. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Americans eat more potato chips than any other nation; more than four pounds a person a year, according to Potatoes USA. About 22 percent of the U.S. potato crop—nearly 7,500 million pounds annually—are made into chips. And USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) helps ensure that the country …
Sorghum: A Useful Pollinator Food Source
An alternative food source for pollinators. That’s coming up in This Land of Ours. Sorghum bicolor, a pollen-rich grass species cultivated for grain and forage, which looks similar to corn, can be an important food source for pollinators and other beneficial insects during times when pollen and nectar are scarce. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) …
Chef Martin Yan New Pistachio Ambassador
A big-name chef is now the face of a popular tree nut. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. World-renowned Chef Martin Yan is joining forces with American Pistachio Growers as a global brand ambassador. The news comes just ahead of the Pistachio Industry Annual Conference in Carlsbad, California, where Yan is slated to teach more than 1,000 pistachio …
Tracking Agricultural Markets
With February ending next week, Mark Oppold looks at how some of the agricultural markets are doing since the first of the year. Sponsored ContentWhat Sets Provysol® Fungicide ApartJuly 8, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024
ARS Scientists Improve Nutrients Adding Value to Rice Crop
Improvements to a worldwide food staple. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Rice, already the primary staple for half the world’s population, is getting a makeover from a research team in New Orleans, Louisiana. The results are a more healthful grain and many potential new products. The team, based in the Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Southern Regional Research …