Farmers' MarketsDirect marketing of farm products through farmers markets continues to be an important sales outlet for agricultural producers nationwide. Farmers markets, now an integral part in the urban/farm linkage, have continued to rise in popularity, mostly due to the growing consumer interest in obtaining fresh products directly from the farm. The 2006 directory lists 4,385 farmers markets currently operating in the United States, representing a 18 percent increase from 3,706 farmers markets in 2004. This growth clearly indicates that farmers markets are meeting the needs of a growing number of farmers with small- to medium-size operations. Use the AgMRC nationwide listing of farmers' markets and links to more info to help consumers "buy local."
Is Biomass Production Increasing?Biomass can be converted into other forms of energy and is an attractive alternative to petroleum. Common sources of U.S. biomass, or feedstock, include crop residues like wheat straw, forestry resources like paper mill refuse, annual crops like corn and soybeans, and perennial energy crops like switchgrass. Learn more about biomass energy production. Biomass
Hired Labor Inputs IncreaseAs the total U.S. agricultural labor force has declined over the past century, hired farmworkers have become a larger proportion of all farmworkers and are especially important in the production of fruit, tree nuts, vegetables, and horticultural crops. Hired farmworkers earn lower incomes than most other wage and salary workers and face demanding working conditions. Because an estimated half of hired farmworkers lack the legal status to work in the U.S., legislative reforms of immigration policies could have an impact on the sectors employing these workers. For William Kandel's full story, visit the April 2008 issue of USDA's Amber Waves. Need Help?Click on a statewide map to find a service provider in your state. . . AgMRC State Directory
Funding for Wetland Projects “The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission today approved more than $29 million in federal funding for the protection and management of nearly 190,000 acres of wetlands and associated habitats in the U.S. that will benefit ducks and waterfowl nationwide under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). The Commission, composed of members of Congress and federal cabinet secretaries, and chaired by Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, also approved nearly $3 million under NAWCA to enhance wetland and waterfowl management in Mexico and more than $4.2 million for the purchase of 2,213 acres of wetlands for inclusion in the National Wildlife Refuge System.” Learn more.
Visit MarketMaker for Food Industry DataMarketMaker is a national partnership of land grant institutions and State Departments of Agriculture dedicated to the development of a comprehensive interactive data base of food industry marketing and business data. It is currently one of the most extensive collections of searchable food industry related data in the country. All the information can be mapped and queried by the user. . . MarketMaker
Americans Are Eating Out Less
American consumers are spending more time cooking at home and less time eating out. Reason why? Analysts at BusinessWeek Online blame the economy. Unemployment rate are on the rise, home prices falling, and Americans are spending more discretionary income on fuel prices.
USDA to Promote U.S. Food in China
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service announced that it will host a U.S. Pavilion May 14-17, 2008, at SIAL CHINA in Shanghai.
Held annually, SIAL CHINA is one of China’s largest food and beverage industry exhibitions. Last year’s show welcomed 1,097 exhibitors from 62 countries, and more than 22,000 local and international trade buyers and visitors.
U.S. Agricultural exports to China, the fourth largest export market for U.S. agricultural products, totaled more than $9.4 billion in calendar year 2007. China’s accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 has accelerated economic growth and created an environment for rapid development of sophisticated supermarkets and hypermarkets.