CONNECTING
TO AGRICULTURE
(Bates County February 10,
2013)-Food, clothing, shelter, transportation…and so much more are products of
agriculture. Join Missouri Farm Bureau
and the 113 county Farm Bureau organizations across the state, February 10-16,
as we pay tribute to Missouri’s farmers and ranchers with a variety of Thank a
Farmer Week activities.
The
Missouri Farm Bureau Thank a Farmer Week allows us to pause and be reminded of
the efforts of farmers and why their work is important to all of us.
Today’s
farmers grow more food and do it with fewer resources
than any time in history. Consumer
demands have changed over time, but farmers meet those needs by providing an
increasing variety of goods. According
to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service,
technology and innovations in agriculture allow one U.S. farmer to provide
enough food and fiber for 154 people around the world.
Even amidst the current
grow-your-own environment, most people have little contact with the source of
their food supply. Most consumers rely
on others to produce some or all of what is needed. Statistics show farm families make up about 2
percent of the U.S. population, yet they provide for themselves and the other
98 percent.
Grocery shelves are filled
with an overwhelming number of food product choices. On average, nearly 40,000 different items
appear in most shopping establishments.
Restaurant menus boast a variety of items from which to choose. However, many
people fail to connect the dots to realize farmers are the source of their
supply of food, says Sharon Arnold, Bates County FB President.
Farmers provide an
abundant, affordable and healthy food supply.
Consumers in the U. S. spend less than 10 percent of their disposable
income on food, based on USDA figures.
That amount is less than any country in the world.
Other items we
use daily come from agriculture. Whether
it is personal care products, medical items, school supplies, printed
materials, sports equipment, manufacturing or construction, agricultural
products are in the mix. “Seldom do we stop and ask ourselves, ‘where
did this come from?’ says Sharon Arnold.
“Farmers and what they provide should not be taken for granted”.
