Note: In July 2025, this reference tool was made available to support stakeholders seeking historical context and updated analysis of market trends for vegetables and pulses. This resource was compiled with the help of Miriam Bradley, a USDA 1890 National Scholar.
Choose a link below for an economic snapshot or in-depth analysis.
This curated index features USDA, ERS special articles, commodity highlights, and other research reports covering topics such as trade, leafy green and organic vegetables, tomatoes, and more. Most entries are written or coauthored by Vegetables and Pulses Outlook analysts and are drawn from Vegetables and Pulses Outlook reports. For the most recent market information, see the Vegetables and Pulses Outlook webpage.
Broader Market Analysis (data estimation, projections, policy)
- Fill the Gaps: Supplementing Annual Domestic Specialty Crop Production Estimates, April 2022, (Special Article), page 37
- Long-run Outlook: Projections for Vegetable and Pulse Markets, May 2015, (Special Article), page 36
- Long-run Outlook: Projections for Vegetable and Pulse Markets, March 2013, (Special Article), page 43
- The Planting Transferability Pilot Program: An Update, June 2012, (Special Article), page 36
- Vegetable Production Concentrated on Very Large Farms, February 2011, (Amber Waves Finding)
- Younger Consumers Exhibit Less Demand for Fresh Vegetables, August 2009, (Outlook Special Report), page 1
- Production Expenses of Specialized Vegetable and Melon Farms, September 2008, (Outlook Special Report), page 1
Cruciferous (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage)
- Cauliflower, December 2020, (Commodity Highlight), page 6
- Cauliflower, April 2006, (Commodity Highlight), page 25
- Fresh-Market Cabbage, August 2002, (Commodity Highlight), page 12
- Broccoli, August 2001, (Commodity Highlight), page 11
Dietary Assessments (consumption, nutrition)
- Dietary Assessment of U.S. Vegetable and Dry Pulse Crops Sector-Updated, August 2016, (Special Article), page 29
- A Dietary Assessment of Vegetable Consumption, September 2012, (Special Article), page 27
Dry Edible Pulses (beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas, and farm programs)
- Dry Edible Beans, September 2014, (Commodity Highlight), page 22
- Chickpeas, September 2012, (Commodity Highlight), page 22
- Factors Influencing ACRE Program Enrollment for Pulse Crops, February 2010, (Special Article), page 30
Food Safety
- Food-Safety Practices Among Post-Harvest Handlers of Fresh Produce, November 2021, (Special Article), page 42
- The Food Safety Modernization Act and the Produce Rule, March 2013, (Special Article), page 33
- The Economics of Food Safety: The Case of Green Onions and Hepatitis A Outbreaks, December 2004, (Outlook Special Report), page 1
Leafy Greens (lettuce, spinach, collard greens)
- Lettuce Trends: Conventional, Organic Growth, and Production, April 2023, (Special Article), page 47
- Spinach: Fresh and Processing Per Capita Availability, April 2022, (Commodity Highlight), page 6
- Countercyclical Pricing Observed in the Collard Greens Market, November 2021, (Special Article), page 47
- Factors Affecting Spinach Consumption in the United States, January 2004, (Outlook Special Report), page 1
Mushrooms
- U.S. Organic Mushroom Industry Overview, December 2022, (Special Article), page 3
- Factors Affecting U.S. Mushroom Consumption, March 2003, (Outlook Special Report), page 1
Organic (production, pricing, supply coordination)
- An Overview of Organic Vegetable Production in the United States, August 2016, (Special Article), page 34
- Organic Produce, Price, Premiums, and Eco-Labeling in U.S. Farmers' Markets, March 2004, (Outlook Special Report), page 1
- Using Vertically Coordinated Relationships to Overcome Tight Supply in the Organic Market, October 2008, (Outlook Special Report), page 1
Peppers
- Bell Peppers, December 2020, (Commodity Highlight), page 8
- Bell Peppers, March 2013, (Commodity Highlight), page 24
- Bell Peppers, December 2001, (Commodity Highlight), page 10
Retail Prices (farm share, price trends)
- Monitoring Trends in Retail Prices and the Farm Value of Fresh Vegetables, April 2017, (Special Article), page 25
- Retail Vegetable Prices: Recent Developments and Forecasting, December 2012, (Special Article), page 23
- Fresh Vegetable Retail Prices and Farm Share, March 2012, (Special Article), page 23
Roots and Tubers (carrots, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes)
- Mapping Potato Exports in North America, April 2023, (Special Article), page 38
- U.S. Sweet Potato Production Leads World in Exports, April 2022, (Special Article), page 47
- Fresh-Market Carrots, November 2021, (Commodity Highlight), page 6
- Dry Bulb Onions, April 2020, (Commodity Highlight), page 7
- Sweet Potatoes, May 2015, (Commodity Highlight), page 30
- Trends in Global Potato Markets, September 2012, (Special Article), page 32
- Sweet Potatoes, December 2008, (Commodity Highlight), page 27
- Carrots, December 2003, (Commodity Highlight), page 11
Tomatoes
- Ripe for Fresh Market Insight: Filling the Gaps in Greenhouse Tomato Production and Trade, April 2024, (Special Article), page 37
- Imported Greenhouse Tomatoes from Mexico Illustrate the Growing Diversity in Fresh Market Tomatoes, March 2019, (Amber Waves Finding)
- Recent Trends in the Fresh Tomato Market, June 2012, (Special Article), page 26
Trade (foreign markets, trade, policy)
- China's Vegetable Exports Peak as Attention Shifts to Domestic Market, March 2013, (Special Article), page 38
- European Trading Arrangements in Fruits and Vegetables, July 2004, (Outlook Special Report), page 1
- China Increases Exports of Fresh and Frozen Vegetables to Japan, August 2002, (Outlook Special Report), page 1
- Vegetable Policies in Japan, November 2002, (Outlook Special Report), page 1
Trade (U.S. markets, trade, policy)
- U.S. Fresh Vegetable Imports from Mexico and Canada Continue to Surge, November 2021, (Amber Waves Feature)
- Import Competition in the U.S. Fresh Vegetable Industry, April 2021, (Special Article), page 49
- Fresh and Processed Vegetables Exports through United States Ports of Entry, April 2020, (Special Article), page 34
- Trade Issues Facing U.S. Horticulture in the WTO Negotiations, August 2001, (Outlook Special Report), page 1
Other Specialty Vegetables (artichokes, asparagus, celery, cucumbers, and other individual crops not classified under other topic areas)
- From Freezer to Pantry: Market Dynamics and Retail Price Trends of Processed Snap Beans, December 2023, (Special Article), page 35
- Fresh-Market Cucumbers, December 2020, (Commodity Highlight), page 10
- Celery, December 2005, (Commodity Highlight), page 27
- Fresh-market Asparagus, February 2003, (Commodity Highlight), page 10
- Artichokes, August 2002, (Commodity Highlight), page 13
Resources (data products, other tools)