Today is Thank a Farmer Day. Those of us in the industry do this every day. But for those who are less familiar with the benefits of agriculture, here are a few reasons why it’s a good day to thank a farmer.
Take a look around you and think about all of things, in addition to the foods & beverages we consume, that come to us because someone else chose to be a farmer.
Start with your Levi’s or Lucky Brand jeans and Chuck Taylor canvas shoes – cotton farmers make those possible. You probably also sleep on cotton sheets and use cotton bath towels. Even the hemp for your T-shirts and messenger bags comes from farms farmed by farmers. Wool sweaters and hats from lambswool, which comes from sheep raised by farmers, are probably coming out of storage now.
Livestock farmers give us leather shoes, baseballs and footballs. Women, how about your cosmetics which likely contain “zea mays” (corn)? If you took any medicine or supplement this morning in capsule form, it contained gelatin from pigs. And if your children use Elmer’s glue, farmers helped make it too, because it contains corn starch.
Some of you probably enjoy soy milk, tofu and edamame –– and probably read something that was printed with soy ink — all from soybeans grown by soybean farmers.
Oh, and don’t forget about the pumpkins you’ll be carving this month.
The list can go on. The point is: the crops and animals produced by US farmers touch our lives in more ways than merely food and beverages. So, we invite you to join us in thanking farmers.