It’s easy to forget just how important agriculture is to America, but almost everything we eat, use and wear on a daily basis comes from American farms. Just a few generations ago, most people were involved with – or closely related to – agriculture. Now, farm and ranch families represent just 2% of the U.S. population, and most people rarely see countryside of any sort – let alone a working farm. And it’s not just the farmer who brings food to our tables: the entire agriculture industry, all the way to the grocery store, are vital links in a chain that feeds every American – and millions of people abroad.
National Ag Day is a great day time to be show our appreciation for American agriculture! Here are some key ways your life is impacted by agriculture:
- Each American farmer feeds about 165 people, compared to only 25 back in the 1960s, according to www.AgDay.org.
- Agriculture is America’s #1 export, and agricultural activity occurs in every state of the union.
- Farming accounts for about 1 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product.
- The millennial generation (people aged 34 and under) includes 257,454 farmers. More than 20 percent of all farmers are beginning farmers (in business less than 10 years).
- In 2017, women made up 30 percent (969,672) of the total number of U.S. farm operators.
- One acre of land can produce 821lbs of cotton, 2,784lbs of wheat and 50,000lbs of strawberries!
- GPS and auto-steer guidance systems are used to increase crop yields, lower costs and reduce chemical use.
- Weeds cause the largest loss in global crop production (34%), followed by insects (18%), and diseases (16%).
- American farmers produce 36 percent of the world’s corn.
- The State of Iowa produces the most chicken eggs of any American state.
Read more about agriculture at www.AgDay.org.
More From: National Agriculture DayShare this Post