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New from ERS

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  Measuring the Agricultural Supply Chain: Output, Value Added, Employment, and Payroll From Firms Upstream of Farms

  Measuring U.S. agricultural production relies on several factors. Identifying the industries that contribute to this production informs several areas, providing a more comprehensive accounting of the total contribution of the agriculture supply chain to the U.S. economy.

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  Documentation for the USDA, Economic Research Service Agricultural Resource Management Survey-Based Forecast Models for Farm-Level and Farm Household Income

  This report documents the methods used to produce farm-level average net cash farm income and farm household level median and average income forecasts. These forecasts, released three times per year by USDA, ERS, provide insights into the financial well-being of farms and the households that operate them.

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  Food and Health: Time Spent Eating, Acquiring Food, Preparing Meals, and Being Physically Active Among U.S. Adults, 2022–2023

  This report examines how U.S. adults spend time eating, for food acquisition, meal preparation, and physical activity, using data from the 2022-2023 Eating and Health Module of the American Time Use Survey. Areas examined include the way food was obtained, grocery shopping and meal preparation, and physical activity.

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  The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Food Security: Insights From Administrative Records

  Studies that assess the effectiveness of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in alleviating food security have primarily been conducted using Federal survey data. These surveys have high rates of SNAP misreporting as it is shown that a high share of survey respondents does not accurately report their SNAP participation. Research has shown that even small amounts of misreporting could impact estimates of the causal and noncausal relationships between SNAP participation and food insecurity. In this context, we use administrative records from 19 States matched to the Current Population Survey (CPS) Food Security Supplement for the 2017–19 period to investigate misreporting and its consequences for understanding how SNAP impacts food insecurity.

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  Access to WIC-Authorized Vendors and High-speed Internet Services in Urban and Rural Areas

  This report describes the availability of high-speed internet services by U.S. census tract to support the use of online shopping options in WIC. Low-income and nutritionally at-risk women, infants, and children up to age 5 are eligible for WIC. WIC supports a healthy diet by providing supplemental foods that are high in nutrients. WIC State agencies have begun to pilot online shopping options for WIC participants to increase participants’ access to prescribed foods.

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  Access to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) at the State and Substate Levels: Meaning and Measurement

  This report estimates eligibility and access rates for the USDA’s Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) using administrative data linked with American Community Survey data. This allows for insights into program reach and demographic differences and confirm that the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census estimates meet high statistical reliability standards.

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  The Frequency and Duration of SNAP Receipt in Arizona, 2009−18

  SNAP is the largest Federal food assistance program and one of the largest safety net programs in the United States. The study results reflect how SNAP serves a diverse array of lower-income households and that program recertification policies have substantial influence on the duration of SNAP participation.

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  The U.S. Hog Industry: Structural Change, Production Systems and Costs, and Manure Management

  This study examines changes in U.S. hog production, including changes in the number of hog farms, the use of production contracts, and farm size. Greater detail is provided on current hog farm structure, such as differences in costs by farm size, and use of hog management practices, housing types, and manure management practices.

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  Exploring USDA Rural Development Programs

  This report examines Federal investment for rural areas of the United States administered by USDA, Rural Development (RD) Mission Area funding obligations. The Single Family Housing program consistently received the largest share of funding, followed by electric, water, and business development programs.

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  An Application of USDA’s Food Dollar Method to Mexico

  Using the USDA, ERS Food Dollar methodology, this report analyzes food expenditure shares across Mexico’s industry groups and factors of production from 2003 to 2018. This allows for comparisons with the ERS Food Dollar data product on domestically produced, domestically consumed food.