Many Americans choose to adorn their homes over the holidays with a Christmas tree, and many of those are real trees. While the American Christmas Tree Association suggests that 80% of U.S. households choose an artificial tree, the USDA Census of Agriculture statistics show that over 17 million trees were harvested in 2012 (the latest [...]
As you enjoy your Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings—either as you sit down to eat or as you dive into leftovers—I hope you took a moment to give thanks for the men and women in agriculture across our great country that made your meal possible. Explore these agriculture statistics about the ways and means [...]
The U.S. has not had diplomatic ties with Cuba since 1961, but the recent efforts by the Obama Administration to renew governmental relations with the Caribbean island nation have put Cuba-U.S. ties on the front burner. It’s front-page news, and the U.S. agriculture industry—especially in Florida—has taken notice. Recently, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack was part [...]
Agriculture is steeped in history and tradition, but it also utilizes technology to improve, increase production and stay relevant in a global market. Apps simply require a smartphone—which are now pretty inexpensive these days and can be useful in the field—and many will work with computers as well. Try these apps to improve your agribusiness: [...]
If you look at any ag operator/owner statistics, you’ll find that the overall number of individuals in agriculture is dropping and the average age or operators is rising. Essentially, if we are going to have all the warm bodies required to meet our country’s ag needs—and that of the world’s—in the future, then we need [...]
What was your favorite subject in school? For many, it was science. For many adults, it’s now science and nature. From Earth Science to Biology to Chemistry, in the hands of the right teacher, science was a fun class that teaches about the world around us. Many still harbor a love of science, even if [...]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, is an organization that wears many hats, and one of those that many don’t know of is a protector of the American water supply. It’s true that agriculture uses a good amount of water, but it’s all in the name of feeding and clothing our nation and providing [...]
The USDA’s annual Farm Income Forecast has been released, and it predicts that profitability will continue a weakening trend that started in 2014. Net Cash Income is projected to fall by 21% to $100.3 billion, due to lower crop and livestock receipts. Net Farm Income is projected to be down by 26%, to $58.3 billion [...]
In this day and age of billions of mouths to feed (and counting!), Agriculture and technology go hand-in-hand. Technology helps farmers to grow more with less, it tracks data and conditions and it can keep everyone and everything connected. The USDA and Microsoft are teaming up and challenging App developers with the “Innovation Challenge” contest to combine [...]
The United States Department of Agriculture enjoys world-wide recognition, but it is usually for their programs and incentives that are directly tied to farming and ranching. However, the USDA is tasked with providing many other services; one important service the USDA provides is ensuring that all Americans have access to healthy food. One area of [...]
