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Celebrating Agriculture
On February 22nd the Utah Farm Bureau Women’s Committee brought together food and agriculture industry leaders at the Capitol Rotunda under the banner “Celebrating Agriculture.” After a five-year hiatus due to building renovation, Utah State Senators and Representatives were again treated to turkey, cheese, dried cherries and other tasty Utah produced agriculture products.
Farm Bureau has a long history of recognizing and honoring the state’s farmers and ranchers for the contribution they make our culture and to the economy of State of Utah.
We in Utah and in America are blessed with the most abundant, most wholesome and affordable food available in the world today. There continues to be a troubling assault on mainstream agriculture by fringe groups like PETA and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) – not to be confused with the local Humane Society. These misguided radicals would like nothing better than to send America’s food and agriculture miracle back to the Stone Age.
With less than two percent of the American people engaged in producing food and fiber, some reminisce back to simpler times and a view of American agriculture as portrayed in an iconic Norman Rockwell painting. Well in reality, agriculture is one of the fundamental pillars of human civilization, critical to American prosperity and is the foundation of our freedom.
Modern agriculture has transformed America. People in this great nation are free to make wonderful contributions to society in science, medicine or humanities because they don’t have to worry about where their next meal will come from.
As I have said many times before, America’s freedom and lifestyle can be attributed directly to the two-percent of our population that takes care of our most basic need – food.
The third week of February this year is recognized by Farm Bureau as “Food Check-Out Week” to commemorate approximately how long it takes for an average family to earn enough money to pay their food bill for the entire year. In contrast, “Tax Freedom Day” for 2010 is set for April 13th for that same family to earn enough money to pay their tax obligations.
It is important for state and national policy makers to ask the question: What nation is truly free and remains free without the ability to feed its citizens? The political atmosphere in Washington, D.C. and the ability of the anti-agriculture lobby to attack long-standing and accepted farming and animal husbandry practices could ultimately challenge our nation’s future food security.
A recently released Utah State University study quantifies the contribution of Utah’s farmers and ranchers based on forward and backward economic linkages in food processing, manufacturing, energy and more. One-half of one percent of Utah’s population, about 16,000 farms and ranches, is the catalyst for more than $15 billion in economic activity.
Just how far-reaching is that contribution. Without objection, let’s note that anyone who eats has a direct relationship with Utah farm and ranch families. Beyond that, nearly 70,000 jobs are tied back to food production. Those $15 billion means food and agriculture is responsible for around 14-percent of the state’s economy.
Maybe it is time to stop apologizing or being nice. Too many still think of modern food producers as a Rockwell hayseed when in reality Utah farmers and rancher are accomplished business operators more likely to have a computer in hand than a pitchfork.
The crazies are demanding we abandon technologies that help American agriculture meet the growing demand for food while maybe even enjoying a little profitability. They are calling for abandonment of biotechnology that increases our production capacity. They want farmers and ranchers to discontinue the use of antibiotics that helps keep animals healthy.
Farmers and ranchers are trusted by consumers. We need to capitalize on that relationship and tell what is really happening on our farms and ranches. Wayne Pacelle, President of HSUS, aims to drive a wedge between consumers and food producers! These anti-meat radicals refuse to acknowledge the level of care and commitment of our farmers to their animals. These groups use misinformation and isolated events to try and discredit.
For Utah families and communities whose foundation is agriculture, we want to salute your contributions to our state and nation. Don’t ever apologize for providing the most plentiful, safest and affordable food available in the world today.
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