Farming

The Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) mission is to create domestic and international marketing opportunities for U.S. producers of food, fiber, and specialty crops. To accomplish this mission, AMS supports farmers markets in four ways.

The Secretary proclaimed the first week of August as National Farmers Market Week (PDF, 146 KB) as a way to champion the direct-to-consumer producers, market managers, and customers that make their communities come alive during market days.

To be competitive in today’s marketplace, U.S. cattle producers and everyone in the supply chain need reliable data to make informed decisions. USDA provides in-depth market data through the Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR) program, which delivers critical market intelligence on price trends, as well as supply and demand conditions.

What does organic certification really mean for a farm? In Lars Crail’s experience as a central California organic pear farmer turned NOP Accreditation Division Audit Supervisor, going organic transformed his orchard and led to a new career helping others achieve organic success.