National Ag Day is March 20, 2010 – the first day of spring. It's a day to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. So take a minute to think about where your food comes from and who produces it.
More than three million people farm or ranch in the United States. Individuals, family partnerships, or family corporations operate almost 98 percent of U.S. farms. Only 2 percent of farms are operated by non-family corporations. That means families just like yours are producing the food you put on your table everyday!
There are 26,900 farms in South Carolina, covering 4,900,000 acres. The average farm in South Carolina is 182 acres. These relatively small farms are part of a larger enterprise in the state known as agribusiness, which includes agriculture and forestry. Agribusiness is our state’s largest economic engine contributing $34 billion a year to the economy and creating more than 200,000 jobs for South Carolinians.
South Carolina farmers and ranchers are independent business people who provide for their families by growing and producing food and fiber. They have an invested interest in taking care of their land, maintaining and improving the soil and water sources, since they depend on the land for their livelihood with the hopes of passing their farms on to their children and grandchildren.
They use modern production techniques to increase the quality and quantity of the food they produce. In the 1960s one farmer supplied food for 25.8 persons in the U.S. and abroad. Today, one farmer can produce enough food to feed 144 people.
A technique called "precision farming" boosts crop yields and reduces waste by using satellite maps, GPS systems, and computers to match seed, fertilizer and crop protection applications to local soil conditions. Farmers are highly trained in application techniques reducing, from pounds to mere ounces, the amount of fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, etc. needed per acre.
The efficiency of U.S. farmers benefits the United States consumer in the pocketbook. Americans spend less on food than any other developed nation in the world. American consumers spend the lowest percentage of their annual income on food - around 10 percent. For every food dollar you spend, you can be sure that the farmer or rancher put his heart and soul into producing the safest, healthiest, and most affordable food in the world. Learn how you can participate in Ag Day by clicking here.
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