Food Hubs

This year I have had the pleasure of visiting a number of urban agriculture operations. From California to Cleveland, the ability of individuals to realize the multidimensional benefits of agricultural production and leverage them in an urban context has been nothing short of amazing. This past week...

According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, there are over five million head of sheep and lambs in the United States, and over 2.6 million head of goats. A growing trend is producing these animals using grass fed production systems, especially for small to mid-sized producers. In response to the...

Are you in the market for data covering locally and regionally produced agricultural products? You are not alone. Consumer demand for local and regional food products continues to soar, with retail sales at an estimated $6.1 billion in 2012. Thanks to support from the 2014 Farm Bill, USDA Market...

Spring is upon us and many local farmers markets are opening with displays of brilliant and vibrant colors. The fresh air has more people talking about and buying local foods. In fact, data from the USDA Economic Research Service suggests that farmers across the country sold an estimated $6.1...

Have you ever wondered how American farmers and businesses track the price of their commodities? Today, farmers, ranchers, and the entire agricultural supply chain turn to USDA Market News – administered by my agency, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) – for timely, reliable, unbiased data...

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio. American consumers are enjoying increasingly more opportunities to buy food directly from farmers and to patronize grocery...

Farmers, producers and other agricultural stakeholders depend on USDA Market News data to get the information they need when they need it. They use the data to evaluate market conditions and trends, make purchasing decisions, and assess movement of agricultural products across the globe. USDA Market...

On Thanksgiving, friends, families and communities come together across America to give thanks and celebrate the autumn harvest. I love the opportunity to reflect on all that I am grateful for, including the hard-working farmers and ranchers who provide the delicious and nutritious food for the...

As part of USDA’s ongoing celebration of National Cooperatives Month, please join us for an upcoming webinar exploring the intersection of two important economic trends: a new wave of cooperative development and the rapid growth in demand for local foods. This webinar – The Role of Cooperatives in...

As we enter the autumn season, the harvest is on most Wisconsinites' minds. I'm particularly excited to be participating in an upcoming gathering in Reedsburg where the Wormfarm Institute’s annual Fermentation Fest will be taking place from October 4 th through the 13 th. In addition to workshops on...