Happy Ag Day 2019

March 14th is celebrated as National Ag Day.  A day to recognize the efforts of farmers and ranchers across our nation to feed and clothe not only our fellow Americans, but others around the world.  

Today, one American farmer produces food and fiber for 168 people around the world.  In 1960, that number was closer to 25 people.  My how times have changed.  In fact, there are more people incarcerated in the United States than there are people who farm full time.  Think about that.  Less than 1% of Americans feed the remaining 99%.

                In Kansas, agriculture is the main driving force in our economy.  In 2018, agriculture, food and food processing contributed $68 billion or about 45% of the total Kansas economy.  This doesn’t take into account when the food is served in restaurants. 

                When Jackie McClaskey was Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, she ordered a study to see how important agriculture was to each county in Kansas. While she knew that Agriculture was the number one economic driving force state wide, she was interested on a county level. The Kansas Department of Agriculture economists found that agriculture, food and food processing is the number one economic force in every county in Kansas!  In our local counties, agriculture accounts for over 20% of the local economy. 

What is hard to remember for some people is that agriculture isn't just cows, sows and plows. We have an abundance of food and feed processing jobs in our state as well as businesses who support agriculture from fertilizer manufacturing and sales to equipment sales and our friends in Coffeyville who help build the John Deere equipment. 

It is easy for our fellow consumers to take farmers for granted. We spend the least amount of our family's income on food of any nation and the food is one of the safest in the world. 

I have found the biggest reason farmers and consumers have such a divide is that many of my fellow consumers don't know a farmer. Many of their parents and grandparents left the farm to pursue other careers. I heard it said that every doctor, lawyer, actor, and anyone else who isn't a farmer should thank a farmer. Farmers are willing to produce the food, so others can pursue other vocations. 

During this ag week I am proud to be a farmer that I hope you feel you know.