ERS

The United States is not the only country enjoying U.S. sweet potatoes.  According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, the United States was the top global exporter, by volume, of sweet potatoes in 2020.  ERS ann...

Rotational grazing is a frequently discussed livestock management practice with a wide variety of public and private benefits.  Little information has been available on the adoption rate of rotational grazing, so the Economic Research Service at USDA issued a report on the subject.  ...

The share of acreage for major cash crops—wheat, corn, soybeans, and cotton—that are planted using conservation tillage has increased over the past two decades in the United States.  According to ERS, farmers reported employing conservation tillage on the majority of acres of wheat at 68%, 76% of corn acres, and 74% of soybeans.  Conservation tillag...

A 2012 change in school meal nutrition standards drove changes in the type of foods schools purchased.  According to data released by ERS this week, following the change in standards, schools obtained more fruits and vegetables through USDA Foods and especially through USDA’s Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.  While there w...

According to ERS, American farmers who want to hire temporary foreign workers through the H-2A visa program usually work with a third party.  The new data announced this week indicated the third parties, such as agents, associations or a lawyer, are used to make the applications.  Employe...

New research from ERS shows global food insecurity increased by nearly 10% in fiscal year 2022.  USDA’s International Food Security Assessment model estimates how food prices and incomes affect food demand and access in 77 low- and middle-income countries.  Food security...

President Joe Biden has declared this week as National School Lunch Week.  The annual declaration highlights how school meals remain a vital lifeline, supplying well-balanced, free or low-cost meals to kids across the country since the program began in 1946.  USDA’s ...

On Monday, USDA’s Economic Research Service reported data that shows the H-2A seasonal worker program has expanded over time.   U.S. agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of U.S. domestic workers can fill seasonal farm jobs with temporary foreign workers through the H-2A visa program.  The Depa...

On Tuesday, ERS reported the ongoing Western drought is the most extreme drought in the region since 2000.  As of Monday, September 19th, the U.S. Drought Monitor classified more than 18% of land in the Western States as experiencing extreme or exceptional drought.  In July...

According to data released by ERS earlier this week, food insecurity varies greatly across the nation.  ERS said there are a list of reasons for the difference, including household-level characteristics, State-level characteristics, and State-level policies.  The est...