Today is National Ag Day and we’re celebrating the industry that is responsible for providing the necessities of everyday life … food, fiber, clothing, fuel and countless other necessities. In other words ag makes sure we’re not hungry and naked!
The National Ag Day program is committed to increasing public awareness about American agriculture. As the world population soars, there is even greater demand for the food, fiber and renewable resources that the United States produces. National Ag Day focuses on educating Americans about the industry so they will understand how food, fiber and renewable resource products are produced and value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.
Wyoming does our part to contribute high quality, American grown and raised ag products. Did you know…
- Wyoming agriculturists contribute a whopping $1 billion to the state’s economy and the U.S. ag industry plops down 20% of the U.S. GDP.
- Wyoming has about 11,000 farms and ranches and is #1 in the nation for average size of farms and ranches
- Wyoming farmers and ranchers care for 30.1 million acres, which produce food and fiber, wildlife habitat & keep lands free from development
- Bringing in 61% of all Wyoming ag sales, ranchers raise and care for 1.3 million cattle. This is enough beef to produce ½ billion quarter pounder hamburgers per year!
- Wyoming is the nation’s #3 sheep and wool producer. Wyoming sheep produce about 3 million pounds of wool!
- The main crops that give Wyoming farmers and ranchers a purpose in life are hay, barley, wheat, corn, sugarbeets and dry beans.
- Wyoming farmers and ranchers produce about 2.2 million tons of the hay each year!
- If you end your day with a nice, cold beer, chances are it came from Wyoming. Farmers grew 6.9 million bushels of barley in 2008!
- Wyoming raises enough wheat to produce 283 million loaves of bread each year.
- Wyoming farmers also find time to raise about 700,000 tons of corn and 664,000 tons of sugarbeets.
- Wyoming also makes the grade in dry bean production and is the 3rd largest producer of pinto beans in the whole, wide, nation.
Join this effort to promote American agriculture to everyone during National Ag Week, March 13-19, 2011. For more information visit www.agday.com.
From RealPartner Liz Lauck – Wyoming Stock Growers Association
RealRanchers.com 
I gave a talk about the beef industry in Wyoming at Lions Club in Wheatland today. We all need to step up, speak out, and celebrate national Ag Day!
Judy