Agricultural Marketing Service

What's Your Beef--Prime, Choice or Select?

The USDA grade shields are highly regarded as symbols of safe, high-quality American beef. Quality grades are widely used as a "language" within the beef industry, making business transactions easier and providing a vital link to support rural America. Consumers, as well as those involved in the marketing of agricultural products, benefit from the greater efficiency permitted by the availability and application of grade standards.

Helping Export U.S. Dairy Products to the Rest of the World

Last year marked the first time in U.S. history that our dairy farmers produced more than 200 billion pounds of milk. This was the highest year over year increase since 2004-2005 and a 5.7 billion pound increase from the previous year. In recent years, more than two-thirds of the growing demand for U.S. farm milk has been for dairy exports.

New Vision Means Better Inspection Services for Fruits and Vegetables

AMS employees inspect bananas in Philadelphia.

Exceptional grading, standardization and auditing services are the benchmarks that were set by USDA's Fresh and Processed Products Divisions. The two organizations within USDA supported the produce industry for nearly a century, providing quality grading and auditing services that businesses and consumers could trust.

Organic 101: Organic Wine

Red wine reflects light from a restaurant.

According to a 2011 survey by the Organic Trade Association, organic beverages made up about 12 percent of total organic food sales growth. Organic wine contributed to that growth, matching pace with conventional wine purchases. So what is organic wine?