2015 Agricultural Outlook Forum - Panel Discussion on Innovation, Biotechnology and Big Data

From USDA:

Posted by Ed Avalos, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, on January 21, 2015 at 12:30 PM

Innovation, biotechnology and big data are changing the way we produce, distribute and even consume food. From using innovative approaches to improve food safety to sharing market data to assist producers in reaching larger markets, big data and new technologies continue to change the face of agriculture.  USDA strives to meet these evolving challenges and will be discussing these issues through the lens of agriculture at the 2015 Agricultural Outlook Forum on Feb. 19-20 in Arlington, Virginia.

Big data isn’t just massive amounts of numbers and codes for scientists, researchers and marketers.  That information, when interpreted and applied, can help people understand – and change – the world around them.  We are discussing how data helps producers of agricultural commodities in adapting their strategies to meet changing consumer demands, marketing practices and technologies.

At the Forum, Secretary Tom Vilsack will moderate a panel “Discussion on Innovation, Biotechnology, and Big Data” within agriculture.  Joining him will be an esteemed group of panelists bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise including:  Cory J. Reed, Senior Vice President, Intelligent Solutions Group, John Deere and Company; Dr. Robert T. Fraley, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Monsanto; Mary Kay Thatcher, Senior Director, Congressional Relations, American Farm Bureau Federation; and Dr. Robert Sutor, Vice President, Mobile, Solutions, and Mathematical Sciences, IBM Corporation.

After the plenary panel wraps up, several breakout sessions will explore how big data and analytics are creating new opportunities for farmers and ranchers to improve the efficiency and resilience of their operations.  We will also look at the challenge of collecting, processing, and packaging data in a way that transforms data into practical tools for use by farmers and ranchers.

Topics will showcase innovative examples of how new tools using big data will help producers. This spans from using remote sensing and risk-management tools, the use of localized and global weather resources, how Market News and other reports enhance decision making, and how producers can adapt production and marketing strategies to meet changing consumer demands, marketing practices and technologies.

Please visit Forum Web site for session descriptions and to register:  http://www.usda.gov/oce/forum/.

USDA Blog » Ag Census Data Tools Coming Your Way

The Census of Agriculture is conducted every five years and USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) spends that time planning, preparing, and executing the Census. But that’s only a part of the Census process. Once we gather and process the data, we have to make sure the results are easily accessible and understood by the public.



USDA Blog » Ag Census Data Tools Coming Your Way

Farm Bill Listening Session: New and Expanding Opportunities for the Organic Industry

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Anne L. Alonzo, Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator, on April 18, 2014 at 1:00 PM

Steve Etka with the National Organic Coalition provides input during the listening session. The session gave USDA the opportunity to hear from stakeholders about their priorities during the implementation process and the impact that the new provisions will have on their communities.

Organic agriculture serves as an engine for rural development, representing a $35 billion industry in the United States alone. USDA is committed to protecting the integrity of organic products, and ensuring that all of our agencies work together to help the organic sector continue to grow.

Members of the organic community are important partners in these efforts. As Administrator of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), which includes the National Organic Program, I have had the privilege of getting to know our organic stakeholders – visiting their farms and talking to them about their priorities – and I have been very impressed. Thanks to the recently passed Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill), USDA is now even better equipped to support the success of organic operations.

Just this week, USDA hosted a stakeholder listening session on the organic provisions of the Farm Bill. The session gave us the opportunity to hear from stakeholders about their priorities during the implementation process and the impact that the new provisions will have on their communities. We had a great turnout with over 80 participants, ranging from researchers to consumers.

At the listening session, representatives from ERS, NASS, RMA, FSA, NRCS, NIFA, and AMS, as well as the Office of the Secretary, gave an overview of the new provisions and our implementation plans before opening the session to participants.  We got some great feedback with a common theme – the importance of communication, outreach, and strategic partnerships.  Stakeholders also noted the benefits of interagency coordination and urged USDA to continue supporting the Organic Working Group which is led by Mark Lipson.

Many stakeholders were excited about the Farm Bill’s expanded funding for the Organic Certification Cost-Share Programs, which help organic producers and handlers cover the cost of organic certification, making organic certification more accessible to small producers.  Listening session participants also emphasized that for the program to be successful, USDA needs to educate the organic community about the opportunity for assistance and partner with stakeholders to get the word out – we couldn’t agree more!

We also heard from stakeholders about the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI).  They were thrilled that the Farm Bill provides additional research grant funds to address issues that affect organic production, and they again asked that we conduct outreach and training on this program.

This exciting Farm Bill provision will allow USDA to expand and improve on our economic and market data about organic agriculture. Some participants asked that we conduct more organic production surveys. USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) reported that more frequent production data is in the works, and that the agency hopes to provide annual updates thanks to a partnership with USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).  Stakeholders were especially appreciative of the collaboration between AMS, ERS, NASS, and the Risk Management Agency to provide additional price elections that will improve crop insurance options available to organic growers.

As we work to efficiently and effectively implement all of the new programs and policies, we will keep reaching out to our stakeholders and encouraging partnerships.  In the cases where we need to do notice and public comment, I hope you’ll all pay close attention and give us your constructive thoughts on how we can all work together to support organic agriculture.

A Census Story from Benton County, Mississippi

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Hubert Hamer, NASS Statistics Division Director, on April 17, 2014 at 1:00 PM

Cattle graze on a farm in Benton County, Mississippi. Cattle and calves ranked as the top livestock inventory item for the Benton County in the previous census of agriculture – what will the 2012 Census results reveal? (Photo courtesy of Dennis Garner)

The Census of Agriculture is the most complete account of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Every week USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will highlight new Census data and the power of the information to shape the future of American agriculture.

The final 2012 Census of Agriculture release is just around the corner. My passion for Census data is rooted not only in the benefits the Census results provide for agriculture as a whole, but also in the value it provides at the local level. To help you see and share all the ways Census data are working for you, USDA is kicking off a dialogue to share how the Census is working for you and your community.

Through Your Census. Your Story., you can become engaged in the Census Story.

My Census Story begins in Benton County, Mississippi. I grew up on a small livestock and row crop farm in Benton County. Like the trends in farming that continue today, I left the family farm to go to college. After graduation, I joined USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

At NASS, I maintained my roots in agriculture by collecting and providing ag data to all those who serve farmers and rural communities. Through the Census, I worked directly with the farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses and community based organizations (CBOs) that rely on the information that only the Census provides.

For the 2012 Census of Agriculture, I personally visited many of these local organizations across the country and listened to their stories about how the Census can help the people and communities the CBOs represent.  From CBOs in the West who depend on the data to improve production and rural services in their communities, to agribusinesses in the East who depend on the results to improve facilities and diversify marketing options in their areas.

Regardless of which county or community you represent, the real impact of the Census can be found at the local level. When the 2012 Census data are released all the way to the county level, I will look at what has happened in Benton County, where my passion for agriculture began.

I will also look at how I can continue to use census data to serve agriculture off the farm, just as I did when I ventured away from the farm many years ago. I will ask, “How can I continue to empower others with Census data to help benefit farmers, ranchers, and rural communities?” This is my Census Story.

What’s your #AgCensusStory? How does the Census benefit you, your operation, and your community? I encourage you to read and listen to more stories and share yours at www.agcensus.usda.gov/Census_Story/.

New Frontiers of Food Safety

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Joyce Hunter, Deputy CIO, Policy and Planning, U.S. Department of Agriculture, on April 17, 2014 at 10:00 AM

Over the last few decades, food safety has been marked by profound social, economic and political evolutions and technological breakthroughs such as 3D printing of food and the adoption of laboratory testing for pathogens. Laboratory testing for pathogens continues to evolve with the advancement of genome sequencing. However, there is always more to do.  There is a potential for advancing existing and promoting greater gains in the future.

What if there were more apps that could allow farmers, producers, consumers and stakeholders access to USDA data? The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) posts a variety of reports using data collected while inspecting and testing meat and poultry products, but more and more, people want direct access to the information.  For instance, what if a consumer could walk into a grocery store, scan a product, and instantly know where it was produced or where it was farmed? What if a farmer had an app that directly informed them about crop forecasting or crop variations? What if people and organizations who would never have had the opportunity before could individually and collectively mash up data in unique and exciting ways, leading to new opportunities to solve complex problems? The potential is endless as more tools are becoming available.

Liberating data in machine and human readable formats is a 21st century way of sharing information.  By sharing data and the tools to analyze it, people can develop new insights and applications to help themselves.  For agriculture, shared research can move us all closer to addressing the global food demands on the horizon. Our food and agricultural challenges have no borders and neither should our data.  At USDA, we recognize the importance of communities collaborating and generating ideas.  Open data in agriculture allows us to pool our existing resources while pioneering fresh, new approaches to tackle the global challenges that lie ahead.

One of the USDA data sets published this quarter offered Salmonella and Campylobacter datasets for the first time. FSIS is dedicated to reducing Salmonella as seen by the Salmonella Action Plan, as well as committed to being transparent.  “The Food Safety and Inspection Service recognizes the value in public data access and sees this dataset as an important step in that direction.  We’re interested to see how the public uses this dataset to help keep food safe and prevent foodborne illnesses,” said Christopher Alvares, Director of FSIS’ Data Analysis and Integration Staff.

Citizens can realize considerable value if more open policies, specifically Open Data, become more widely adopted throughout our agencies. In a recent study published by McKinsey, in which it examined the anticipated impact of Open Data across seven domains (education, transportation, consumer products, electricity, oil and gas, health care, and consumer finance), it found that Open Data could contribute a minimum of $3 trillion in additional value annually. So for areas of economic struggle, or where there is an emphasis on revenue generation and job creation, Open Data could lead to new opportunities across a number of industries and, by extension, across their societies as a whole.

"Safety Datapalooza" Brings More Usability of FSIS Salmonella Data

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Megan Buckles, Public Affairs Specialist, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, on April 15, 2014 at 10:00 AM

On Jan. 14, 2014, nearly 400 people participated in the second annual “Safety Datapalooza” at USDA headquarters.  The event, hosted by the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy and Office of Public Engagement, U.S. Department of Transportation and USDA, recognized innovators from the private, nonprofit and academic sectors who have freely used available government data to build products, services and apps that advance public safety in creative and powerful ways.

During a breakout session, Christopher Alvares, Director of FSIS’ Data Analysis and Integration Staff, explained the agency’s recently released Salmonella Action Plan and testing programs aimed at reducing the number of illnesses associated with FSIS-regulated products using new standards, strategies and innovation.  “FSIS produces regular reports on Salmonella contamination in regulated product, but the data had never been available in machine-readable format or in a single place,” said Alvares.  Up until now, this data had been available only from report to report spanning many years.  Today, this data is available as one source and in one place.

After the Safety Datapalooza, FSIS wanted to encourage the spirit of innovation and reinforce its commitment to maintaining transparency by posting the FSIS Quarterly Salmonella and Campylobacter Summary dataset on Data.gov. The data comes from FSIS’ Quarterly Salmonella Reports going back to 2006 and lists the numbers of samples tested and the percentage that tested positive. The samples come from routine verification sampling programs conducted by FSIS and are collected by FSIS inspectors at federally inspected meat and poultry establishments and tested at FSIS testing laboratories.

FSIS is dedicated to transparency and reducing Salmonella as seen by the Salmonella Action Plan.  “One of the agency’s goals, as stated in our Strategic Data Analysis Plan, is to improve the accessibility and usability of FSIS data. We wanted to know what the public could do with the data to help prevent illnesses and what other data may be needed for better mashups and results,” said Alvares.

The release of this data builds upon the Safety Data Initiative launched by the White House in May 2012.  This initiative aims to make government data relating to every aspect of public and product safety, from crime to roadway safety to food safety, more accessible, as well as encourage the development of innovative apps and services fueled by those data to empower Americans with the information and tools to make smarter, safer choices.

For more information about Salmonella and the Salmonella Action Plan, visit the FSIS Salmonella and Salmonellosis website.

Summer Adventure in Statistics

Posted by Ben Bellman, National Agricultural Statistics Service, on September 3, 2013 at 10:00 AM

Ben Bellman is a University of Colorado student who interned at USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service through the Joint Program in Statistical Methodology during the 2013 summer.

This post is part of the Science Today feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

2013 is the International Year of Statistics. As part of this global event, every month this year USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will profile careers of individuals who are making significant contributions to improve agricultural statistics in the United States.

When I first walked through the doors to the USDA South Building in our nation’s capital, I was a newcomer, and in more ways than one. I had never worked in an office before. I had never lived in a big city. And to be honest, I didn’t know anything about agriculture. I was placed as an intern in the Public Affairs Section of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) because of my studies in Statistics and English, and I was very nervous about what I would find. As foolish as it seems now, I was flying blind my first day, completely unaware of what was waiting for me in the coming hours, let alone the next ten weeks.

What I found was a corps of statisticians committed to collecting data and calculating accurate numbers on American farming, and releasing them on a strict schedule. I quickly became aware of how important this job really is. Thousands of people in all parts of the agriculture industry, from commodity traders to policy makers to everyday farmers, depend on information from NASS to inform their decisions. It’s a huge undertaking, requiring cooperation among survey design teams, survey administration teams, data collectors, statisticians, commodity experts, and IT specialists, all spread across the country. As I joined their ranks, I was able to see many aspects of NASS operations and learn about its complexities and relevance.

My work here has been varied and rewarding. The Public Affairs Section’s mission is to better connect the agency to its data users and providers, and we ensure that both their and the agency’s needs are met. Part of that involved finding statistics that might be useful to a wider audience. I spent much time combing recent NASS releases, searching online through Quick Stats, reading through historic volumes to discover facts about our agricultural past. These are the numbers that represent our entire nation’s agriculture, and bringing them to the public both educates them and empowers our farming community as a whole.

Interning with NASS was one of the most valuable experiences I’ve had. I was able to see firsthand the great size, diversity, and importance of our agricultural system, down to the smallest family farm. I worked as part of an office team and was surrounded by people who cared about my success. I got a glimpse into the complex process of collecting the data that document events and trends in our country, and the dedicated workers who make it happen. Ten weeks was nowhere near enough time to reap all that I could from Washington and NASS, but it was a taste I’ll never forget, and one that left me wanting more.

Appeal of Diverse Side of Ag Statistics

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USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Troy Joshua, National Agricultural Statistics Service, on August 27, 2013 at 9:40 AM

Troy Joshua (left) visited Matty Matarazzo’s (right) farm. Matarazzo owns and operates the Four Sisters Winery in Belvidere, N.J.

This post is part of the Science Today feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

2013 is the International Year of Statistics. As part of this global event, every month this year USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will profile careers of individuals who are making significant contributions to improve agricultural statistics in the United States.

Growing up in the rural community of St. James, Louisiana, I always had a passion for agriculture. In 1992, I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business from Southern University A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and earned a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Washington State University two years later.

For my master’s thesis, I created an economic model analyzing the profitability of the Washington state asparagus industry. To get the data for my thesis, I created and mailed questionnaires, editing and analyzing all of the responses. This experience sparked my interest in the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and I joined the agency’s California Field Office in 1994.

The California office opened up new horizons for me. Growing up in Louisiana, I was used to what we call “conventional” farming. But California agriculture is much more diverse, giving me a chance to learn about different crops, such as grapes, almonds, and oranges. That was just the beginning of my NASS career. I expanded my knowledge of American agriculture, accepting assignments over the next few decades in Mississippi, Washington, D.C. and New Jersey offices.

These experiences also honed my statistical skills and prepared me for my current role as the chief of the Environmental, Economics, and Demographics Branch. Diversity is truly the nature of my branch. We publish all of the agency’s data on farmer demographics, farm income, prices, labor, as well as on pesticide and herbicide use in agriculture. Just a few weeks ago, for example, we published updates to farm expenditures figures, which showed that producers’ expenditures topped $350 billion for the first time in history.

It is the diversity of statistics that appeals the most to me about my current role. One day I may meet with farmers who talk to me about their increases in farm inputs as compared to the value of their crops sold. The next day, I may handle one of our frequent requests from university professors looking for farmer demographics data for the U.S. and specific regions. To me, that’s the true beauty of statistics – the fact that these numbers touch every facet of our lives.

Industry Associations Use USDA Market News to Create Apps

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Anne Alonzo, AMS Administrator, on August 19, 2013 at 4:00 PM

Screenshot of the ASI Market News mobile app.

For nearly 100 years, USDA Market News has been collecting market information on behalf of those working in American agriculture to provide current, unbiased price and sales information.

Covering both domestic and international markets, the data is disseminated within hours of collection to help market and distribute farm commodities.  It is all provided publicly and free of charge via the Internet and other electronic means, in printed reports, by telephone recordings, and through the news media.  The agricultural industry relies on the thousands of market reports across hundreds of commodities, often using the data to create reports of their own.

Most recently, in September 2012, the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) contacted USDA to discuss creating a market news app to suit their stakeholders’ needs.  This initial conversation spurred the development a new tool that allows the sheep industry, and anyone else who might be interested, to have market information available at their fingertips.  On August 1, 2013, ASI announced the launch of its new smartphone app, which provides market data as soon as USDA releases it.

ASI headed the development of this tool, working with the USDA Market News staff to determine which reports would be the best fit.  Together, ASI and USDA selected market information derived from six different national reports, along with price data from seven key regional auction markets.

The app provides the industry with the convenience of valuable market data anywhere, anytime. This kind of partnership between USDA and the sheep industry is critical to supporting American producers.

ASI saw an opportunity to use USDA-collected market information and organize it into a user-friendly format.  The app, produced at a minimal cost, no longer ties customers to a computer; rather, they can access it straight from their smartphones.  In the future, ASI plans to expand this app to include other market information.

ASI used the same independent developer who created an app for accessing USDA feeder cattle market information.  That app, called “Cattle Talk Mobile,” provides highlights from weekly feeder cattle markets that are reported by USDA in 22 states.  It also has a utility that allows users to calculate an estimated value for their cattle based on the market reported in their local area.

By collaborating with the private sector to develop tools such as these, value is added to the market information that USDA collects.  Stakeholders help distribute data in a way that helps all sectors of the marketplace to make marketing decisions.  USDA is proud to provide high-quality market information to the public free of charge, and we’re thrilled to see our stakeholders put it to good use.