ERS & NASS Participate in Goldschmidt Fellowship Data Immersion Workshop

USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) participated in the 2023 Goldschmidt Fellowship Data Immersion Workshop by hosting a USDA data series virtual workshop on Wednesday, March 6th, 2024. During the seminar, each agency shared how business journalists can use USDA research, data and surveys to inform the public on topics related to agriculture, food, the environment, and rural America.

Economic Research Service Resources:

Wednesday, March 6th

8:30 a.m. ET  –  Tara Weaver-Missick, Director of Communications, USDA Research, Education and Economics Mission Area – Tara delivered welcome remarks. 

8:35 a.m. ET  –  Joe Parsons, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service – Joe provided introductory remarks about NASS and its mission. NASS conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture. Production and supplies of food and fiber, prices paid and received by farmers, farm labor and wages, farm finances, chemical use, and changes in the demographics of U.S. producers are only a few examples.

8:45 a.m. ET  – Lance Honig, Acting Director of Methodology Division and Acting Chair of the Agricultural Statistics Board, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service – Lance shared key findings from the 2022 Census of Agriculture data. The ag census is conducted every five years and is the most comprehensive agricultural dataset covering U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them.

9:35 a.m. ET  –  Spiro Stefanou, USDA Economic Research Service Administrator – Spiro provided an overview of ERS' mission and available data and research.   

9:50 a.m. ET  –  Carrie Litkowski, Senior Economist, USDA Economic Research Service – Carrie presented an overview of ERS’s Farm Income data.

10:30 a.m. ET  –   Break

10:40 a.m. ET  –  Jennifer Bond, Deputy Director of Outlook & Staff Analysis, USDA Economic Research Service – Jennifer provided an overview of ERS’ Commodity Outlook program.

11:20 a.m. ET  – Megan Sweitzer, Agricultural Economist, USDA Economic Research Service – Megan presented an overview of ERS’s latest food price outlook.

Economic Research Service Resources:                                                                            

• Commodity Outlook

ERS, working closely with the World Agricultural Outlook Board, the Foreign Agricultural Service, and other USDA agencies, conducts market analysis and provides short- and long-term projections of U.S. and world agricultural production, consumption, and trade.

• • ERS Outlook Reports and Data
  • World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates at a Glance
  • ERS Special Outlook Reports
  • Email Notification

• Food Access Research Atlas

The Food Access Research Atlas (FARA) is a mapping tool that allows users to investigate multiple indicators of food store access. This tool expands upon previous estimates to provide a spatial overview of food access indicators by census tract, incorporates alternative estimates of low-income and low-access census tracts, and offers contextual information for all census tracts and many demographics in the U.S.

• • The Food Access Research Atlas interactive guide provides an overview of the Food Access Research Atlas to assist users in understanding its background information and its low-income and low-access measures.

• Food Environment Atlas

The Food Environment Atlas is a web-based mapping tool developed by ERS that allows users to compare U.S. counties in terms of their “food environment”—indicators that help determine and reflect a community’s access to affordable, healthy food. 

• Food Price Outlook

The Food Price Outlook provides food price data and forecasts changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) for food.

• • Summary Findings
  • Food Price Environment: Interactive Visualization
  • Data Training Webinar: Food Price Outlook

• Farm Income and Wealth Statistics

Find the latest data on U.S. farm sector income and wealth statistics, including historical U.S. and State-level farm income and wealth estimates, and U.S.-level forecasts for the current calendar year.

• • Charts and Maps about Your State
  • US. and State-Level Farm Income and Wealth Statistics

• Amber Waves Magazine

Search a collection of articles on ERS data spotlights, infographics and research findings.

• Charts of Note

Get the latest ERS Charts of Note via email or through our new mobile app available now on Android and Apple devices.

• Data Products

Visit ERS’ one-stop-shop for all of our agency’s data products.  To learn more about these products, check out our Data Training Webinars for an in-depth look at several ERS products. 

• Data Visualizations

Explore a series of interactive data visualizations on a variety of topics.

• ERS Annual Reports   

National Agricultural Statistics Service Resources:                                                   

• Homepage
• Data and Statistics
• Quick Stats
• Publications
• Census of Agriculture
• Newsroom