Thank you to America’s farmers and ranchers! Today, March 25th, the Agriculture Council of America (ACA) hosts the 41st National Agriculture Day.  The theme for today’s celebration is “Agriculture: 365 Sunrises and 7 Billion Mouths to Feed.”

On March 25, 2014. The ACA will host major events in the nation’s capital to honor National Agriculture Day and mark a nationwide effort to tell the true story of American agriculture and remind citizens that agriculture is a part of all of us. A number of producers, agricultural associations, corporations, students and government organizations involved in agriculture are expected to participate.

National Ag Day is organized by the Agriculture Council of America. ACA is a nonprofit organization composed of leaders in the agricultural, food and fiber community, dedicating its efforts to increasing the public’s awareness of agriculture’s role in modern society.

When asked to sum up the goals of National Agriculture Day, the ACA organizers explained it pretty well by saying: “Agriculture provides almost everything we eat, use and wear on a daily basis. But too few people truly understand this contribution. This is particularly the case in our schools, where students may only be exposed to agriculture if they enroll in related vocational training.  By building awareness, the Agriculture Council of America is encouraging young people to consider career opportunities in agriculture.”

The National Ag Day program not only focuses on the future youth that will be involved in agriculture, but encourages every American to:

  • Understand how food and fiber products are produced.
  • Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.
  • Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.
  • Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and fiber industry.

So in honor of National Agriculture Day here are five agriculture facts that you will want to share today:

  1. There are more than 22 million people that work in agriculture related fields in the United States
  2. Today, every farmer feeds 144 people – up from 25 in the 1960’s
  3. The average age of principal farm operators is 58.3 years, up 1.2 years since 2007 continuing a 30 year trend of steady increase
  4. In the agriculture census, 48% of farm operators consider farming their primary occupation
  5. The average farm size in the United States in 2012 was 434 acres, up 4% from 2007.

So how are you going to celebrate National Agriculture Day today?  Don’t forget to share your story on social media today using the hashtag #AgDay2014. Most importantly, take the time to thank someone in the agricultural community today for all they do.  “Agriculture: 365 Sunrises and 7 Billion Mouths to Feed.”