Agriculture Day 2023

Agriculture Day (Ag Day) is a day to recognize, promote and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. This year Ag Day celebrates 50 years of recognizing and honoring the importance of American agriculture.

The agriculture sector in the United States employs 22 million people and there are about 2 million farms across the United States. One U.S. farm feeds 166 people annually. The average time a farmer operator spends on the farm in a lifetime is 58.3 years. 11% of the farmers in the U.S. previously served in the military and women make up 36% of the total number of U.S. farm operators.

More than half of America’s farmers intentionally provide habitat for wildlife. Deer, moose, birds and other species have shown significant population increases for decades thanks to the careful stewardship of the land.

Check out these ideas for celebrating Ag Day and thanking America’s farmers and ag families for feeding, clothing, and sheltering us.

• Plant a garden – you can even plant a larger garden and donate your surplus food to a local food shelf.
• Consider yourself a master gardener? Teach a child (or a friend!) about gardening.
• Share a favorite recipe that uses locally grown food.
• Educate yourself and others about the intricacies of farming and agriculture. You can start by researching agricultural issues that affect our community.
• Contact your legislator and remind them of the importance of supporting farm initiatives. (Note: this is the year that the legislature revisits the Farm Bill, which focuses on US and global food aid, farm and ag requirements and subsidies, and food assistance programs for those dealing from hunger; if the current proposed Farm Bill does not pass, a number of programs would lose funding, and others would revert back to outdated law from the 1949 Farm Bill, so this is an important year to share your support for nutrition, sustainability and equity in our food systems!). 
• Use social media for good! Share what agriculture means to you – whether it’s a recipe, a story or just a photo of your favorite farmer’s market!
• Visit farmer’s markets. Buy local produce. Take it a step further and try making a ‘farm to table’ meal, consisting of only items grown from local farms.
• Consider buying a local CSA share for the upcoming season (Community Supported Agriculture).
• Join a local Coop grocery store in your area to support local farmers.
• Try out some new recipes with locally grown fruits and veggies this summer. 
• Support the Rural Life Fund of Catholic Charities, to help offer one-time emergency assistance to rural families facing an unexpected financial hardship.
• Mark your calendars for Sunday, August 20th to plan to attend the annual Rural Life Celebration put on by Catholic Charities and the Diocese of St. Cloud (more details to come!) 
• Visit a local farm that offers tours or activities. You could try Fairhaven Farms in Fairhaven, Country Blossom Farm in Alexandria, Coffman Apple Orchard in Wheaton, Green Island Farm in Wadena, Oliver Kelley Farm near Elk River, The Redhead Creamery near Brooten or Lida Farm in Pelican Rapids.