US Dept. of Agriculture Sites of Interest

Office of the Chief Economist

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

  • Market News, real time local and national prices

  • Rules and Regulations, latest on voluntary and mandatory marketing rules

  • Generic Promotion Board Oversight

    American Egg Board; American Lamb Board; American Pecan Promotion Board; Cattlemen’s Beef Board; Christmas Tree Promotion Board; Cotton Board; Fluid Milk Processors Promotion Program; Hass Avocado Board; Highbush Blueberry Council; Mushroom Council; National Dairy Promotion & Research Board; National Honey Board; National Mango Board; National Peanut Board; National Pork Board; National Potato Promotion Board; National Watermelon Promotion Board; Paper & Packaging Board; Popcorn Board; Softwood Lumber Board; United Sorghum Checkoff Program; United Soybean Board

  • Grades and Standards

Agricultural Research Service (ARS), ARS is USDA’s principal in-house research agency. ARS partners with institutions across the country to build a better future through agricultural research and information.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), APHIS provides leadership in ensuring the health and care of animals and plants. APHIS coordinates outbreaks that could restrict international trade by monitoring plant and animal health. APHIS historical reports provided difficult to find technology practices across decades.

Economic Research Service (ERS), ERS is USDA’s principal economic and social science research agency. They analyze and develop data collected by other USDA agencies into more consumable datasets and reports.

  • Data Products, (So many datasets!) – ARMS Farm Financial and Crop Production Practices; Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S.; Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials; Agricultural Baseline Database; Agricultural Exchange Rate Data Set; Agricultural Productivity in the U.S.; Agricultural Trade Multipliers; Agricultural and Food Research and Development Expenditures in the United States; Area and Road Ruggedness Scales; Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America; Chart Gallery; Charts of Note; Commodity Costs and Returns; Cost Estimates of Foodborne Illnesses; Cotton, Wool, and Textile Data; County Typology Codes; County-level Data Sets; Dairy Data; Data Visualizations; Eating and Health Module (ATUS); Farm Household Income and Characteristics; Farm Income and Wealth Statistics; Feed Grains Database; Fertilizer Use and Price; Food Access Research Atlas; Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System; Food Consumption and Nutrient Intakes; Food Dollar Series; Food Environment Atlas; Food Expenditure Series; Food Price Outlook; Food Security in the United States; Food and Nutrition Assistance Research Reports Database; FoodAPS National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey; Foreign Agricultural Trade of the United States (FATUS); Frontier and Remote Area Codes; Fruit and Tree Nuts Data; Fruit and Vegetable Prices; International Agricultural Productivity; International Baseline Data; International Food Security; International Macroeconomic Data Set; Livestock and Meat Domestic Data; Livestock and Meat International Trade Data; Major Land Uses; Meat Price Spreads; Milk Cost of Production Estimates; Natural Amenities Scale; Normalized Prices; Oil Crops Yearbook; Poverty Area Measures; Price Spreads from Farm to Consumer; Purchase to Plate; Quarterly Food-at-Home Price Database; Rice Yearbook; Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes; Rural-Urban Continuum Codes; SNAP Policy Data Sets; Season-Average Price Forecasts; State Agricultural Trade Data; State Fact Sheets; Sugar and Sweeteners Yearbook Tables; U.S. Bioenergy Statistics; U.S. Food Imports; Urban Influence Codes; Vegetables and Pulses Data; Weekly Retail Food Sales; Wheat Data

  • Publications

Farm Service Agency (FSA), The Farm Service Agency implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster, and farm marketing programs through a national network of offices.

Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), FNS increases food security and reduces hunger in partnership with cooperating organizations by providing children and low-income people access to food, a healthy diet, and nutrition education in a manner that supports American agriculture and inspires public confidence.

Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), FSIS enhances public health and well-being by protecting the public from foodborne illness and ensuring that the nation’s meat, poultry and egg products are safe, wholesome, and correctly packaged.

Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), FAS works to improve foreign market access for U.S. products. This USDA agency operates programs designed to build new markets and improve the competitive position of U.S. agriculture in the global marketplace.

Forest Service (FS), FS sustains the health, diversity and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Business Center, The FPAC Business Center is a first-of-its-kind organization at USDA, combining the talent of employees from all three FPAC agencies into specialized teams that serve employees and customers across the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Risk Management Agency (RMA).

National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), NASS serves the basic agricultural and rural data needs of the country by providing objective, important and accurate statistical information and services to farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses and public officials.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), NIFA’s mission is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and extension to solve societal challenges. NIFA’s investments in transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and global preeminence of U.S. agriculture.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), NRCS provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain and improve our natural resources and environment.

Risk Management Agency (RMA), RMA helps to ensure that farmers have the financial tools necessary to manage their agricultural risks. RMA provides coverage through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, which promotes national welfare by improving the economic stability of agriculture.

Rural Development (RD), RD helps rural areas to develop and grow by offering Federal assistance that improves quality of life. RD targets communities in need and then empowers them with financial and technical resources.

  • Programs and Services,

    BioPreferred Program; Business Programs; Community Facilities Programs; Electric Programs; Energy Programs; Inflation Reduction Act Programs; Multifamily Housing Programs; Single Family Housing Programs; Telecommunications Programs; Water & Environmental Programs; Cooperative Services

Rural Utilities Service (RUS), RUS provides financing to build or improve infrastructure in rural communities. This includes water and waste treatment, electric power and telecommunications services. These services help expand economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for rural residents.

Rural Housing Service (RHS), RHS offers a variety of programs to build or improve housing and essential community facilities in rural areas. RHS offers loans, grants, and loan guarantees for single- and multi-family housing, childcare centers, fire and police stations, hospitals, libraries, nursing homes, schools, first responder vehicles and equipment, housing for farm laborers and much more.

Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), RBS offers programs to help businesses grow as well as job training for people living in rural areas. These programs help provide the capital, training, education, and entrepreneurial skills that can help people living in rural areas start and grow businesses or find jobs in agricultural markets and in the bio-based economy.