Celebrate National Ag Week
Published
3/11/2019
National Ag Week, March 10-16, 2019, is a time to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. Every day during the week, producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America join together to recognize the contributions of agriculture. Ag Day is March 14.
“The Montana Farm Bureau Federation is proud of farmers and ranchers in Montana and across the United States who are producing nutritious, abundant and affordable food for so many people,” said MFBF President Hans McPherson. “Ag Week is a great time to learn a little more about agriculture. It’s also a great time to thank the consumers who purchase and enjoy the bounty we produce.”
Fast facts about agriculture:
- Family farmers and ranchers feed America; in fact, 99 percent of all U.S. farms are owned by individuals, family partnerships or family corporations. Just 1 percent of America’s farms and ranches are owned by non-family corporations.
- Family farms produce 89 percent of ag products sold with non-family corporations accounting for only 11 percent of U.S. ag product sales.
- There are 3.2 million U.S. farm operators who work on 2.1 million farms. Women make up 30 percent of the total number of farm operators.
- One U.S. farm feeds 165 people. Of those, 106 are in the U.S. and 59 are outside the U.S.
- In 2016, $135.5 billion worth of American agricultural products were exported around the globe.
- In 2017, 71 percent of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Budget was spent on food assistance and nutrition programs. In contrast, ag programs received just 16 percent.
- Farmers and ranchers receive only 16 cents (on average) out of every retail dollar spent on food that is eaten at home and away from home. In 1980, that number was 31 cents.
Visit American Farm Bureau’s Fast Facts About Agriculture page for additional ag information.
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