Agriculture - United States

Subject Guides > Agriculture > United States

This is a selection of public policy, statistical and research sources created and supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its sub-agencies.

Agricola -  This is the National Agriculture Library (NAL) Catalog of journal articles, books, reprints, reports and audio visuals. Click here for journal titles indexed in Agricola. NAL homepage.

Agricultural Statistics - National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other USDA agencies contribute the information contained in this annual publication.  On CD-ROM at (Gov Ref A 1.47/2:2007); in print: (Gov. Pubs. HD1751 .A43, 1936-2005). National Agriculture Statistics Service homepage.

Amber Waves - This journal contains articles for consumers and researchers on issue analyses of US policy, trade forecasts, export-market development, food safety, the environment, farm financial institutions, farm and food price forecasts.  Note: In 2003 several publications (Agricultural Outlook in print from 1974-200 at Gov. Pubs. HD1751 .A4; FoodReview in print from 1991-1999 at Gov. Pubs. HD9001 .A18; Rural America online) merged to form Amber waves. Economic Research Service homepage.

Census of Agriculture - Statistics of agriculture on the U.S., state and county level is taken every five years by the U.S. Census Bureau and serves as the complete count of U.S. farms, ranches and the people who operate them. In print at (Gov. Pubs. HD 1753 <yr.> from1925-1987; earlier statistics contained in decennial census volumes).

Economics, Statistics and Market Information System (ESMIS) is a collaboration of Cornell University's Mann Library and sub-agencies of the USDA providing access to nearly 2500 current and historic reports and data sets. Subjects include commodities; field crops; economics and management; livestock, dairy and poultry; specialty agriculture; domestic and international trade; weather and market news. 

FAS Worldwide - An online searchable review of Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) publications, initiatives and services. FAS homepage.

Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) includes "In the News" lead stories, notices of public meetings and fact sheets regarding public health and food safety.

Forest Inventory and Analysis National Program (FIA) - reports on status and trends in forest area and location; in the species, size, and health of trees; in total tree growth, mortality, and removals by harvest;  in wood production and utilization rates by various products; and in forest land ownership. U.S. Forest Service homepage.

National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference is a collection of authoritative food composition databases and describing state of the art methods to acquire, evaluate, compile and disseminate composition data on foods available in the United States.

Plants Database - This database from the Natural Resources Conservation Service provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories.

Soil Surveys by State - This Web site lists soil surveys that have been published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture since 1899, many are available digitally. In print: Iowa Soil Survey Reports 1917-1947 (Gov. Pubs. S599.I8 I6); U.S. Soil Surveys (Gov. Pubs. S591 .A22 (1923-1961); S591. A221 (1962-1993). Natural Resources Conservation Service homepage.

M. Mason
3/2008