Celebrating ag more important than ever
National Ag Week, March 15 to 21, is way to celebrate the economic, social and environmental importance of agriculture and on March 24 the National Ag Day is commemorated.
Events will showcase the importance of farmers and ranchers and their dedication to feeding our country and the rest of the world. According to agday.org, the time is set aside to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. “Every year, producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies across America join together to recognize the contributions of agriculture.”
The organization encourages every American to understand how food and fiber products are produced, value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy, and appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable prices.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in its 2022 census, there are about 2 million farms in country—a tribute to the efficiency of today’s operators. The number covers about 3.4 million producers who oversee about 880.1 million acres that generate food, fuel and fiber for Americans and people around the world.
All of this comes at a time of great unease for many farmers and ranchers. The eternal optimists—a priceless gift passed down over multiple generations—have found themselves in a quandary as they have felt the brunt of a trade war they did not initiate and now an overseas war that has caused fertilizer prices and fuel prices to skyrocket as they contemplate planting their corn, cotton, sorghum, and soybean acres.
The bright spot in the ag sector has been livestock prices, particularly for beef. The latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates’ report showed modest price increases projected in 2026 for beef, pork, poultry, and milk.
As we look at this National Ag Week and upcoming National Ag Day, we must also wonder about the mental stress farmers and ranchers are under.
If your farm and ranch is in the panhandles of Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska or in southwest Kansas, you have felt the impact of wildfires in recent weeks. The National Drought Monitor has also shown that drought conditions in many regions of the High Plains have worsened in the past month.
As noted in a recent story by Field Editor Lacey Vilhauer, the Kansas Farm Bureau has launched Rural Minds Matter to help farmers and ranchers in the Sunflower State. They often are working in isolated conditions along with variables they cannot control.
The Rural Minds Matter is an example of what positive can be done in rural communities throughout the High Plains.
As we celebrate the accomplishments of farmers, ranchers and those who help them we need to recognize there are many challenges that go beyond tending crops and livestock. We need to continue to keep them in prayers and be advocates for our nation’s most important industry. Our country cannot succeed without them.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
