Farmers and agriculture associations across the country celebrate the 41st annual National Agriculture Day on March 25, 2014. The Agriculture Council of America organizes the day of recognition for American Agriculture. The ACA’s goals for National Ag Day include a desire for every American to:
- Understand how food and fiber products are produced.
- Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.
- Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.
- Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and fiber industry.
This year’s festivities included the installation of a memorial to Dr. Norman Borlaug in Washington, D.C. American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman recognizes Dr. Borlaug as “the scientist most closely identified with dramatically improving agricultural productivity through development of high-yield, disease-resistant crops. His scientific discoveries and hands-on work to transfer food production technology transformed agriculture all around the world. His work moved farm production from subsistence to the fullest abundance and most importantly, gave nations the tools to feed their people.”
The National Farmer’s Union focused on family farmer’s during National Ag Day because the United Nations has declared 2014 the International Year of Farming. “Family farmers constitute 96 percent of all farms in the United States and 45 percent of the world’s population makes its living directly from farming. Without family farmers, there would be no National Ag Day,” said Chandler Goule, NFU senior vice president of programs.
Chuck Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farm Cooperatives, said, “National Ag Day gives us an amazing opportunity to showcase agriculture and share the true success story that we see as we look out across rural America today. Agriculture continues to be a bright spot in the U.S. economy and farmer-owned cooperatives are at the core of that success.”