Agriculture API
Contents
The U.S. government, particularly the Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a major provider of agricultural data, and many of its agencies offer APIs for programmatic access. These APIs are invaluable for developers, researchers, and businesses in the agritech sector who need to access data on crop yields, farm finances, trade, and more.
Here are some of the key government agencies and their associated APIs for agricultural data:
1. National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
NASS is a principal source of U.S. agricultural data.
| • | Quick Stats API: This is one of the most widely used agricultural APIs. It provides access to a massive database of statistics from the Census of Agriculture and various surveys. You can use it to get data on: |
| o | Crop and livestock production |
| o | Acreage, yield, and prices |
| o | Farm income and expenses |
| o | Operator demographics |
| o | Data is available at national, state, and county levels. |
| o | To use this API, you'll need to obtain an API key from api.data.gov. |
2. Economic Research Service (ERS)
The ERS provides economic research and information on agriculture, food, and rural development.
| • | ARMS Data API: This API provides programmatic access to data from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). It's a great resource for understanding farm financial health, resource use, and household characteristics. The API allows for attribute-based querying to retrieve data on: |
| o | Farm business balance sheets |
| o | Costs of production |
| o | Farm income and expenses |
| o | Farmer and farm type characteristics |
| • | ERS Content API: This API provides access to the primary content areas of the ERS public website, including reports, topics, and publications. |
3. Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)
The AMS provides services that facilitate the marketing of agricultural products.
| • | Farmers Market Directory API: This API provides information on U.S. farmers market locations, including directions, operating times, product offerings, and payment options. This is a popular consumer-facing resource that's also available to developers. |
4. Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
The FAS offers data on international trade and markets for U.S. agricultural products.
| • | Foreign Agricultural Service Data API: This API provides programmatic access to publicly available data from several key databases: |
| o | Export Sales Report (ESR): Tracks weekly U.S. export sales of agricultural commodities. |
| o | Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS): Provides global agricultural trade statistics. |
| o | Production, Supply & Distribution (PSD): Contains historical and forecasted data on world agricultural commodities. |
5. Other Important Resources
| • | FoodData Central API: While focused on nutrition, this API from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) provides REST access to a vast database of food and nutrient data, which can be useful for applications related to food production and consumption. |
| • | National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) AWDB database: The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) maintains this database, which includes soil, water, and climate data from its extensive network of SNOTEL (SNOwpack TELemetry) stations. These data are crucial for understanding crop health and resource management. |
Getting Started
To use these APIs, you typically need to:
| 1. | Obtain an API Key: Most of these services require you to sign up for a free API key on api.data.gov, a free API management service for federal agencies. |
| 2. | Review the Documentation: Each API has its own documentation that explains the available endpoints, parameters, and data formats. This is essential for building your queries correctly. |
| 3. | Start with Simple Queries: Begin by retrieving basic data to ensure your API calls are formatted correctly before building more complex applications. |