National Ag Day Celebrates 40 Years of Agricultural Awareness
National Ag Day's 40th anniversary raised agricultural awareness across the U.S. and the world
John Deere & Company was one of many partners involved in the 40th anniversary of National Agriculture Day, which took place March 18 and 19 in Washington, DC; the event aimed to bring awareness to the importance of American agriculture in the United States and globally. This is according to a press release on the AgDay website.
Founded in 1973, the press release states the National Ag Day program encourages every American to understand how food and fiber products are produced. Other aims of the program include valuing the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy; appreciating the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant, and affordable products; and acknowledging and considering career opportunities in the agriculture, food, fiber, and renewable resource industries.
According to AgDay, this year’s event was capped off by the “Celebration of Ag Dinner,” which featured the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011, and honored the winners of the Ag Day essay, video essay, and poster contests.
Jenny Pickett, President, Agriculture Council of America, said about this year’s gathering, “This is undoubtedly the most important Ag Day program in our history. Our goal is to ensure the eyes of the nation are on the contributions American agriculture makes not just here in the United States, but also around the world. That’s the message we’re taking to the Hill, and the message that will be carried through communities across America.”
The 40th anniversary of National Agriculture Day aimed to emphasize the importance of agriculture in the U.S. and across the world, according to the AgDay press release. With a two-day lineup of events, attendees had the opportunity to experience what Pickett says is the most important day in the Ag Day program’s history.
Image courtesy of ofbf.org