Using ACNielsen Homescan data, we found that organic price premiums increased by 42% between 2001 and 2004. Organic vegetables appear to be the preferred organic produce among light users, while heavy users seem to have an affinity for organic fruits, especially apples and grapes. Overall, organic potatoes command the highest percentage of price premiums, while organic tomatoes are clearly the most favored choice for all organic users.

Water quality credit trading is being promoted as a way to more cheaply and quickly reach water quality goals. Can the expected benefits of trading be realized? This article discusses: the key elements of water quality credit trading, challenges to making it work in the agricultural water quality context, evidence of performance to date, and policy issues. It concludes that water quality credit trading is in its infancy and significant implementation challenges exist. Policymakers must reduce their expectations of such programs until more evidence about their workability and performance is obtained.

Using longitudinal data from the Agricultural Census, we examined growth and diversification of Washington dairy farms. Largest farms grew the fastest, suggesting they are not converging toward a size that minimizes average cost within the current size range. Smallest farms were most diversified, and farms of all sizes became more diversified over time.

Trends in adult and childhood obesity are a cause of great concern. These trends have inspired the continued development of government programs targeted at the improvement of dietary quality, especially in our schools. Factors affecting the success of these programs are varied.