March 25th is National Agriculture Day. National Ag Day is “a day to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture.”
Many people are not aware of the role that agriculture plays in their daily lives. The food on your table, the clothing you wear, the home that you live in, and even a percentage of the fuel that you put in your vehicle are provided to you thanks to agriculture.
As Americans, we are extremely lucky. We have a safe, plentiful, and accessible food supply. American farmers are producing more food of a higher quality than ever before. One farmer feeds approximately 150 people. Americans spend much less of their budgets on food than do people in other countries.
Cotton, linen, and hemp are examples of products that are used to make our clothes and are brought to us thanks to farmers. Many of the materials used to build, furnish, and decorate our homes are provided to us by farmers.
Even some of the fuel uses in our vehicles is now up to 10 percent ethanol. Many are not aware that 28.7 percent of the total grain produced in the United States was used to make ethanol.
Consider these facts about American agriculture:
—There are 3 million farm operators.
—922 million acres in the U.S. are farmed.
—$297 billion in agricultural products are sold.
—One in every 12 U.S. jobs is connected to agriculture.
—97 percent of American farms are family owned and provide 85 percent of America’s farming production.
—Agriculture is the nation’s #1 export.
Now consider these facts about agribusiness in South Carolina:
—Agribusiness is the #1 industry in South Carolina.
—The agribusiness of agriculture and forestry has a direct and indirect impact of $33.9 billion each year.
—Agribusiness provides almost 200,000 jobs in South Carolina.
—South Carolina exports $1.4 billion in agriculture and forestry products annually.
Let’s take the time during National Agriculture Week, March 23-30, to consider the impact that agriculture has on our economy, our country, and our lives.
Let’s give some thought as to how our food gets to the grocery store, where the fiber comes from to make our clothes, etc. Give thanks for our farmers this week and show your gratitude for agriculture and the people who make it possible.