National Ag Day aims to raise awareness of industry impact

March 24 is National Ag Day, an opportunity for producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and others to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by American agriculture.

As the world population soars, there is even greater demand for the food, fiber and renewable resources produced in the United States. Each American farmer feeds more than 165 people — a notable increase from 25 people in the 1960s, according to the Agriculture Council of America (ACA), which promotes the National Ag Day campaign.

The National Ag Day program believes that every American should:

• Understand how food, fiber and renewable resource products are produced
• Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.
• Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.
• Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food, fiber and renewable resource industries.

“Agriculture provides almost everything we eat, use and wear on a daily basis. But too few people truly understand this contribution,” according to an ACA statement. “This is particularly the case in our schools, where students may only be exposed to agriculture if they enroll in related vocational training.”

A live stream of Ag Day speakers, including Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, at USDA is available with online registration. Rollins kicks off the event at 9:30 a.m.

For more information, contact the Agriculture Council of America at (913) 491-1895.