WASHINGTON, D.C. — March 19 was National Agriculture Day and the theme for this year’s event was “Generations Nourishing Generations.”

Thirty state FFA officers – mostly college students – from throughout the country joined agricultural students from 4-H, the Agriculture Future for America and the Student National Agrimarketing association in Washington, D.C., from Sunday through Tuesday to experience leadership and advocacy training, meet congressional leaders and help raise awareness of agriculture and its impact on our nation’s society and economy among Washington policymakers.

Leadership training at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Md., was ed by experts representing the National FFA Organization, National 4-H, Agriculture Council of America, Farm Credit, John Deere, Walmart, National Assoc. of Farm Broadcasting, American Farm Bureau Federation, Land O’ Lakes, the U.S. Forest Service and more.

During their time in D.C., FFA members and agricultural students participated in idea exchange groups, visited congressional leaders at Capitol Hill, under went media training and took a nighttime tour of the nation’s capital.

Monday, a panel discussion titled “Farm to Folk Politics” at the Hart Senate Office Building was moderated by Sara Wyant of Agri-Pulse and feature J.B. Penn, chief economist at John Deere; Dr. Keith Collins, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and B. Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Information Services division of the National Restaurant Assoc. 

Tuesday, FFA members started their day meeting with their respective congressional representatives at the U.S. Capitol. Then they attended a luncheon emceed by famed agricultural broadcaster Orion Samuelson during which Outstanding Young Farmer honorees were recognized. In the evening, a “Celebration of Agriculture” dinner hosted by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan was held at the U.S. Department of Agriculture during which winners of the National Agriculture Day essay, video essay and poster contests were announced.

The National FFA Organization, 4-H and Agriculture Future for America coordinated with the Agricultural Council of America to stage National Agriculture Day each year. The event began in 1973. For more about National Agriculture Day, visit www.AgDay.org

CASSTOWN, Ohio — The Miami East FFA Chapter is proud to celebrate National Agriculture Week March 17 to 23. To honor the hard working men and women of agriculture in America and in Miami County and to achieve a greater understanding of the stake each American has in maintaining a strong agricultural industry, the Congress of the United States and other lawmaking bodies have declared the first day of spring as “National Agriculture Day.”

United States agriculturists produce nearly one-twelfth of the world’s major agriculture commodities.  This abundant production enables U.S. farmers to feed not only the country’s population but also tens of millions of people throughout the world.

The remarkable food and fiber production industry links together 23 million Americans who are involved in growing, processing, and marketing hundreds of United States agricultural commodities.  Americans spend only 10% of their income on food, the lowest percentage compared to any other nation.  

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 career technical training. 

Each American farmer feeds more than 155 people ... a dramatic increase from 25 people in the 1960s. Quite simply, American agriculture is doing more - and doing it better. As the world population soars, there is an even greater demand for the food and fiber produced in the United States. And, most American farms are still family farms. Today 98% of all U.S. farms are owned by individuals, family partnerships or family corporations.

Only $.19 out of every retail food dollar is received by the farmer. Off-farm costs account for $.81 of every retail dollar spent on food such as off-farm labor, packaging, transportation, and processing.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, it takes about 36 days for most Americans to earn enough disposable income to pay for their food consumed for the entire year. This is compared to the 39 days of earning to pay for state and local taxes, 52 days of health and medical care, 62 days of housing and household operations, and 77 days of federal taxes.