Agriculture is food, fiber and fuel. But it’s also a variety of careers—education, communications, food safety and service, science, engineering, legal and more. And it’s all celebrated on National Ag Day, which is set for Tuesday, March 24.

This year marks the 47th anniversary of National Ag Day, and the theme is “Food Brings Everyone to the Table.”

National Ag Day recognizes and celebrates the farmers and ranchers who work the land and fuel America.

“Agriculture plays an important role in all of our lives—whether you live on a farm or buy your food at the grocery store,” Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening said. “America’s farmers and ranchers have made it their lives’ work to cultivate the land and improve what’s not only their business, but also their family legacy.”

Boening is a fourth-generation farmer and rancher in Poth. He grows feed grains, cotton, watermelons and wheat, as well as operates a 450-cow dairy with his brother and father and a beef cattle operation.

“We are proud to continue the tradition of American farming and want to celebrate our accomplishments with our customers, our neighbors who purchase the products we grow and raise,” he said.

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.

The National Ag Day program 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

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, National Ag Day activities in Washington, D.C. and in classrooms across the U.S. have been cancelled.

“Farmers, ranchers and the food industry play a significant role in the health of the American economy,” Boening said. “Agriculture and the food industry have been recognized as a ‘critical industry’ during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I believe American consumers also recognize agriculture and the food industry as they go to the grocery store or get take-out from local restaurants.”

Learn more about National Ag Day at agday.org.