Ag Day 2025

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Ag Day Across America

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Communicate & Collaborate to Meet Future Ag Needs

Submitted by The Global Harvest Initiative

This is the third year in a row that the Global Harvest Initiative (GHI) has sponsored the National Ag Day events in Washington D.C., and we applaud the efforts of the Agriculture Council of America (ACA) as it educates millions of young Americans on the contributions of agriculture today, and the importance of agriculture tomorrow to meet the needs of a growing world. This is especially important for the next generation, who represent the future of agriculture as the producers, business leaders, professors and policy makers of tomorrow.

GHI believes that it is critical to raise the visibility of food security and agricultural challenges, and to enhance our ability to address them through collaboration, partnerships and dialogue.

Unlike ever before, digital media is empowering every global citizen—from smallholder farmers to heads of state—to take an active role in the global conversation on agriculture. For example, there are now more than 800 million Facebook users and more than 100 million active Twitter users. Of the 7 billion global citizens today, 4.8 billion own a mobile device. These trends indicate how this generation, and the next, will communicate the importance of agriculture and collaborate to address hunger and global food security challenges.

As the world’s population moves rapidly to an estimated 9+ billion people by 2050, the challenges of meeting future agricultural demand are great. We believe this marks an incredible opportunity for future agriculture leaders, both here in the U.S. and abroad, to address global food security and agricultural productivity challenges in new and innovative ways, from research and technologies, to an unprecedented level of collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Meeting tomorrow’s global agricultural demand won’t be easy, but with young, talented minds working together, the GHI is confident that the challenges can be met.

We encourage you to join GHI’s online communities on Facebook and Twitter, where we will continue the conversation about meeting the agricultural needs of tomorrow. You can also visit us online at www.globalharvestinitiative.org to read our Harvest2050 blog, watch videos and view the latest news clips, reports and resources.

About The Global Harvest Initiative:
Established in 2009, The Global Harvest Initiative is a partnership among DuPont, IBM, John Deere and Monsanto with the goal of addressing hunger and food security by sustainably closing the global agricultural productivity gap. Every year, GHI releases its signature GAP Report™, an annual benchmark of the global rate of agricultural productivity.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Agriculture Counts on Ag Day ... and Every Other Day

Submitted by Renee Picanso, USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service

National Ag Day is about recognizing and celebrating the important contributions of America's farmers and ranchers as well as the 3 million hard-working producers that feed the other 300 million of us. And we're proud, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service, to be a sponsor of the 2012 National Ag Day program.

Many know us for the Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years, the Census is a complete count of America's farms and ranches. Without it, we wouldn't know that 3 million producers farm this land of ours. Knowing that 1 percent of the U.S. population feeds the other 99 percent of us is pretty amazing. But there's more to the story if you dig a little deeper.

From the 2007 Census of Agriculture, we learned that the hand that feeds us is changing. The number of women farmers grew by 30 percent between 2002 and 2007, and Hispanic farmers increased by 10 percent during that same period of time. The point is, the diversity of agriculture is constantly changing and the Census plays an important role in showing us how.

Since we're on the subject of National Ag Day, think about the fun facts and figures you'll hear as proof points to agriculture's importance this week. Things like the number of eggs produced annually, strawberry production in Florida or pumpkins grown in Ohio will be thrown around like candy at a parade.

These all come from the Census and other NASS data products we produce from talking to the very farmers we're honoring this week. The good news is the 2012 Census of Agriculture is right around the corner, giving farmers another opportunity to be counted. To make sure you are counted in the Census, sign up today!

One of the coolest things about National Ag Day is learning more about the amazing story of America's farmers and ranchers. But knowing that we play a small role in telling their story through the information we collect from farmers makes it even cooler.

Happy Ag Day, everyone!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Farming Technology At Its Best

Submitted by Lindsey Loving, International Food Information Council & Alliance to Feed the Future

I recently had the opportunity to visit a farm for the first time ... ever. Sure, I'd driven by farms and seen the cattle grazing and the fields with row upon row of corn and cotton. But I never had an up-close and personal look, until now. I was amazed by the efficiency with which the cows were milked and the pride the farmers took in their work. But one of the most striking things was how far agricultural technology has come, and how that technology enables farmers to do their jobs more efficiently than ever before.

For example, one farm I visited had 4,500 acres of land for growing corn and soybeans. To farm all that land, there were about a dozen people. My math skills aren't great, but that seems like a lot of land per person! This level of efficiency would have been impossible 50 years ago. When you see the old and the new farming machinery—planters, irrigators, combines, etc.—side by side, the difference is truly remarkable. And yet, it is still a very similar process with the same basic tasks as before; only faster and on a larger scale (and less back pain). Ultimately, improvements in farming technology now make it possible to obtain more food from the land, with less food waste and less loss of natural resources. In addition, techniques such as biotechnology, used by some farmers, make it possible to reduce pesticide and herbicide applications, which research shows consumers are looking for in foods they buy for themselves.

If I had to choose between the “old” way of doing things and the new, I would definitely pick the new. After all, who doesn't want their job to be easier (I don't know what I would do if I had to revert back to “snail mail” and fax machines)!

One thing I can say for sure is that farmers work hard! There are no sick days or snow days in farming. The animals need to be fed and tended to every day. Even when farmers aren't planting or harvesting, there is planning and maintenance to be done on the equipment and vast acres of land, even on the bitterest of cold days (like the day I visited).

For the farmers I met, farming is a personally rewarding and fulfilling career. After seeing what a big job farming is, I appreciate more than ever that I don't have to grow my own food, and I have a greater appreciation for the farmers who work 24/7 to provide food for the world. We all benefit from their hard work!

On National Ag Day this year, I am remembering my visit to the farms and what American farmers provide for the world. I also have a newfound appreciation for the technology that enables them to do their jobs more efficiently.

The Alliance to Feed the Future is a group of scientific societies, universities, industry and commodity groups, and nonprofit communication organizations committed to raising awareness and improving understanding of the benefits and necessity of modern food production and technology in order to meet global demand. Its 85 members have science-based resources on modern agriculture, food production, and technology that are all available through the Alliance website.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Producing Excellence in a Changing Agricultural Landscape

Submitted by Jennifer Armbruster, Farm Credit

Consumers are craving information about how their food gets from farm to table, and Farm Credit has identified four agricultural trends for 2012 through its Producing Excellence program, an online collection of stories celebrating the contributions of the American farmers and ranchers Farm Credit has been serving for 95 years.

1. The growing connection between consumers and producers

72 percent of consumers know nothing or very little about farming or ranching, but nearly the same number say their purchase decisions are impacted by how food is grown and raised.

Producing Excellence, features the stories of Fred Fleming, co-owner of Shepherd’s Grain, and Jimmy Carter of Southern Belle Farm, who are committed to raising agriculture awareness.

2. Agriculture careers offer a bright spot in the U.S. economy

Agriculture is attracting the next generation of farmers from diverse backgrounds, including James and Sandy Stepp, who left the IT world to establish the Wichita Buffalo Company, and Joe Freeman, who retired from his corporate career to set up a cattle operation in Mississippi.

3. Interest in locally grown food

Organic grower Scott Edwards of Fertile Crescent Farm sells the majority of his produce at the local farmer’s market and College-professor-turned-producer Dennis Derryck organizes small teams of vegetable growers to deliver on a unique distribution model in a South Bronx community.

4. Rise in female farm operators

More than 1 million women operate farms in the U.S.—a 22 percent increase since 1997. Third-generation farmer Mary Alice Garay, owner and operator of a large chile farm, and Mary Fritz, a fourth-generation rancher, are examples of this growing trend.

Read more about these producers and dozens more who are shaping the story of Agriculture in America.