By Julie Tomascik

Paint brushes, laundry detergents and books are stacked throughout my garage. And house.

But my disorganized home is not the point.

Those items are part of agriculture.

No, they aren’t a cow, sow or plow. But they are byproducts from those animals and the crops grown by farmers and ranchers.

Because agriculture is so much more than our food and clothes.

It’s construction. Lumber, paints and brushes.

It’s printing. Paper, ink and textbooks.

Do you play sports? Own a baseball glove or bat? That’s agriculture!

Shampoo and cosmetics. Yes, that’s agriculture, too.

Are you musically talented, unlike me? The strings for musical instruments are also an agricultural byproduct.

Sutures. Ointments. Adhesives. Detergents. Crayons. Pencils. Desks.

They all stem from agriculture.

We couldn’t make it through the day without those products. Or agriculture.

Think about that the next time you wash a load of laundry, paint a picture or read a book to your kids as they fall asleep.

It’s not possible without agriculture.