Some food prices are creeping up again. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reports that food prices rose in April for the first time in a year. The organization says the increases stem from higher sugar, meat, and rice prices. The Food Price Index, which tracks the international prices of commonly-traded …
Inflation Impacting Organic Fresh Produce Sales
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 …
Florida Farmers Challenge Feds Over Wage Rule
(NSF/TALLAHASSEE/April 25, 2023) — Warning about a “looming disaster,” Florida farmers and agriculture groups have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a new federal rule about wages for farmworkers. The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Tampa, centers on a minimum wage related to temporary farmworkers coming into the United States under what are known as H-2A visas. The …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Ian Florida Agriculture Losses Estimated at $1B
(NSF/TALLAHASSEE, FL/February 9, 2023) — Hurricane Ian caused an estimated $1 billion in agricultural-production losses, with the biggest hits to the citrus industry, along with growers of vegetables and melons, according to a new University of Florida report. The report from the UF-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences also doesn’t include damage to such things as buildings and equipment, which …
Ian Estimated Agriculture Damages Tops $1B
(NSF/TALLAHASSEE, FL/Jan. 18, 2023) — A soon-to-be-released report will estimate Florida’s agriculture industry sustained about $1.07 billion in damages from Hurricane Ian, with growers of citrus, vegetable and horticultural crops taking the biggest hits from the wind, rains and flooding. But citrus growers think the estimate doesn’t show the full damage from the storm. The pending report from the University …