national agricultural statistics service

Imagine this. You are a new farmer who bought a plot of land in your hometown. You’re making important decisions for your operation like what to plant and where. If only you had a tool to identify historical information for what’s been grown on your land and in your area that would allow you to make better informed decisions to set up your new business for success.

Members of the United States Armed Forces sacrifice so much to keep us safe and protect our country. Every May Americans recognize their efforts and express gratitude during Military Appreciation Month. At USDA, we also celebrate the contributions that our Military members have made to agriculture and farming.

Female farmers and ranchers in the United States play an integral role in providing agricultural products to our nation and the world. During Women’s History Month, we celebrate the 1.2 million female producers around the country.

U.S. farmers, ranchers, and producers of every kind are growing older. The average age of farm producers (PDF, 1.8 MB) increased from 56.3 to 57.5 years from 2012 to 2017. As legacy producers retire, our nation needs the next generation of producers to take on the important business of providing food, feed, fuel, and fiber for a growing population.

Last month, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the results of the 2021 Certified Organic Survey. The data showed a continued upward trend in the organic industry since 2008, when organic data collection first began.

Have you ever wondered what makes a census different from a survey? At USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, we conduct both censuses and surveys. The difference is in the totality of the respondents who receive a questionnaire.

USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is the gold standard in providing timely, accurate and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture. But beyond the hundreds of surveys the agency conducts each year on behalf of U.S. ag, NASS has been helping to establish and improve agricultural statistics systems in countries around the world since the end of World War II. NASS’s international projects are especially relevant as we mark World Food Day this Sunday, Oct. 16.

The 2019 National Farmers Market Survey conducted by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) collected data regarding the market practices of managers in 2019 from 10,000 farmers markets. Using trends and statistics found from these efforts, AMS and Wheaton College created five research briefs highlighting results from this survey and sharing insights into the trajectory for farmers markets into the future.