By Jennifer Dorsett
Field Editor
Agriculture is food, fiber and fuel. But it’s also a variety of careers—education, communications, science, legal and more.
And it’s all celebrated on National Ag Day, which is set for Tuesday, March 20.
National Ag Day recognizes and celebrates the farmers and ranchers who work the land and fuel America.
The Agriculture Council of America (ACA), which is a nonprofit organization, has been hosting Ag Day annually since 1973. The organization has dedicated its efforts to increasing the public’s awareness of agriculture’s role in modern society.
Don Tourte, current chairman of ACA, said the council is comprised of members from across the agricultural, food and fiber community.
Tourte has been on the ACA board for about five years and is serving a one-year term as chairman.
“Ag Day is just a great opportunity to tell the story of the people who feed and clothe us,” Tourte said. “We, as consumers, take food and clothing for granted on a day-to-day basis, but Ag Day is a day to sit back and reflect on where it comes from.”
ACA hosts an event in Washington, D.C. and encourages local communities to host their own events across the nation to raise agricultural awareness.
This year’s theme is “Agriculture: Food for Life.” Today, each American farmer feeds more than 165 people. In the 1960s, that number was just 25 people.
“What we do on every single acre matters more now than ever,” Tourte said. “Food is one of the most important things for people to have access to. Food production is not easy to accomplish, but it’s very important.”
For more information and to find out how to get your community involved, visit www.agday.org.