Today marks National Agriculture Day in the United States!
The theme for this year’s celebration is Agriculture: Food for Life. You can click here to see the winners of the national essay and video contests, as well as some of the events that are being hosted across the country.
As for me, I’m quite taken by the theme this year for both practical and personal reasons.
Food is life. Without it, human beings wouldn’t be able to survive, thrive, or live. Quite literally, we would die without it. Our bodies require a certain amount of nourishment on a regular basis. We know that a healthy, well-balanced diet is important for human beings to live happy and productive lives. Unfortunately, there are too many people in our world that fail to get all the food they need, which is a problem that can and should be addressed through technology, crop protection tools, and reducing food waste.
Food is personal for all of us. It is something that we willing choose to put into our bodies and, I think, says a lot about who we are. Maybe we obsess about every morsel. Maybe we just want something quick. Maybe we just use food as comfort. Maybe we just find it a chore. In any case, this makes food very personal. We can definitely have a relationship — good or bad — with food. Either way, our eating habits are something that each of us will have to deal with during our lifetimes.
For those in agriculture, food is life takes on an even more profound meaning.
Food is a way of life. From preparing the soil and planting in the spring, to bringing in the harvest in the fall, agriculture is a lifestyle. No, not a lifestyle like bib overalls and country music, but a way of life that dominates every single day. It is more than the clothes we wear (really, we don’t all wear overalls) or the music we listen to. Farming is part of who we are as a person, even as a family. I’m amused when our family gets together, because we end up always talking about farming. This is who we are, every single day. It can be hard to separate ourselves from the work.
When people ask me why I blog or why I advocate or why I’m willing to speak up for this industry, this is the reason. Agriculture is food for life. From a personal decision in the kitchen, to a lifestyle that I was born and raised with, agriculture is part of who I am. I suppose all of that translates into one word: passion.
We are so blessed in this country to have an abundant, healthy, and quality food supply. This is definitely something to celebrate. Thank you to all of the farmers that work so hard every single day to make that available for us!
To all farmers, family members of farmers, friends of farmers, and eaters – Happy National Agriculture Day 2017!
