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National Agricultural Statistics Service


Setting the Stage for Innovative Research

March 16, 2020 Scott Hutchins, Deputy Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics

We’re fortunate to have robust food, fiber, fuel, and ag-related industries in America. Our food is safe, nutritious, and plentiful. Our fiber helps clothe people around the world. And we’re using value-added agricultural products to fuel machinery. However, agriculture is at a crossroads with the...

Research and Science

Looking Ahead to the 2020 Crop Season, What to Expect from NASS Numbers

February 26, 2020 Hubert Hamer, Administrator, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

With the 2020 growing season about to begin for major field crops such as corn and soybeans, we’d like to walk through the surveys and data used during a complete season of field crop estimation. As a way to help you prepare for the 2020 data releases, we’ll explain in a series of articles the...

Research and Science

NASS Builds Its Future on 150-Year Foundation of Agricultural Statistics

January 21, 2020 Hubert Hamer, NASS Administrator

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is well known for being the gold standard for U.S. agricultural data that can help you in your work. We are proud of our reputation for providing useful, accurate data in service to U.S. agriculture for more than 150 years. When extension agents...

Research and Science

Mississippi Rises to the Top of U.S. Aquaculture

January 16, 2020 Esmerelda Dickson, Mississippi State Statistician, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Agriculture continues to be Mississippi’s top industry for revenue generated in the Magnolia State. Poultry is Mississippi’s largest agricultural commodity, leading as the most valuable livestock product including eggs-layers with sales valued at $3.1 billion. The 2017 Census of Agriculture showed...

Research and Science

Family Farms Flourish in Sweet Grown Alabama

January 09, 2020 Cynthia Price, Alabama State Statistician, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service

Families are the cornerstone of agriculture in Alabama (PDF, 947 KB) where 97% of farms counted in the recent 2017 Census of Agriculture are family owned. Although the number of farms in Alabama decreased 6% from 2012, the average size of farms increased 3%, mirroring a trend seen in states across...

Research and Science

Are Crawfish Counted in the Ag Census in Louisiana?

December 27, 2019 Kathy Broussard, Louisiana State Statistician, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service

Louisiana’s diverse agriculture does in fact include crawfish. While the Census of Agriculture doesn’t count every crawfish harvested, it does capture the value of sales from commercial producers.

Research and Science

Agriculture Grows in the Land of the Midnight Sun

December 27, 2019 Suzan Benz, Alaska State Statistician, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service

The 2017 Census of Agriculture showed farming in Alaska is thriving and growing across many different sectors. Alaska saw increases in the number of farms with cut flowers, hogs, layers, vegetables, bees and honey, bedding plants, food crops grown under cover and more.

Research and Science

Cheese and So Much More: Ag Census Data Show Multi-Faceted Wisconsin Farm Economy

December 19, 2019 Greg Bussler, Wisconsin State Statistician, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service

Wisconsin (PDF, 941 KB) is known as America’s Dairyland; however, the 2017 Census of Agriculture data show us that Wisconsin has a diverse agricultural industry. It’s no surprise Wisconsin ranks number one in cheese production, but did you know it also ranks number one in corn for silage, cranberry...

Research and Science

Nevada – We Grow Things Here!

December 12, 2019 Scot Rumburg, Nevada State Statistician, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service

While UFO spotting on the Alien Highway and non-stop entertainment in Las Vegas beckon people all over the world to Nevada, many might miss out on the thriving agricultural community that lives and works throughout every county in the state. According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, over 3,400...

Research and Science

A Rare Glimpse at Traditional Crops Grown in New Mexico

December 05, 2019 Longino Bustillos, New Mexico State Statistician, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service

Farming has been a part of New Mexico for over 2,500 years, ever since Native Americans first grew corn, squash, and beans throughout the region. The 2017 Census of Agriculture provides a rare look into our state’s agriculture crop acreages and livestock numbers. For instance, the 2017 Ag Census...

Research and Science
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