Raising awareness...

Last week I mentioned I was putting on an Ag Day Event at our local library in honor of National Agriculture Day.

I started getting super nervous that no one would come and J and I would be eating baked potatoes for weeks to come, but to my surprise we had about 40 people attend.

Although forty people isn't a ton and I'm sure more than 40 people in the county eat food or use products that are directly tied to agriculture production, I feel like the event was a great success.

We raised awareness about the agriculture industry, partook in a Baked (locally grown) Potato Bar,

listened to a Cowboy Poet,

and watched the movie Temple Grandin. Have you seen Temple Grandin? Such a great movie!

On top of all the fun we provided important and interesting information about the industry.

Considering the county I live in is rural and we are all surrounded by farms and ranches, I am a little surprised more people didn't come. I think a lot of people just take the abundance that agriculture provides for granted and some just don't care.

I obviously can't change the world, but if one person left my event this past weekend feeling grateful toward the agriculture industry, then I guess I did what I set out to do.

I plan on making this an annual event and I can't wait to watch it grow.


If you missed the Ag Day/Week celebrations don't fret, in the words of fellow blogger, Crystal Cattle, "...you can celebrate farmers everyday!"

Wordless Wednesdays - Jig 'ol bitty bow.

Happy Ag Week!

Did you know that National Ag week is March 4th-10th?

Are you thinking this doesn't apply to you since you aren't in the industry?
You don't raise cattle, grow corn or run sheep?

Welp, think again.

If you ate today, thank a farmer or a rancher, and celebrate Agriculture!

Agriculture Week is a time to honor and thank those that work in the agriculture industry. When you stop to think about the abundance Agriculture provides you will realize that everything from what we eat to what we wear comes from the industry.

Those warm wool socks that keep you warm and cozy at night...yeah, a sheep rancher raised the sheep that provided that wool.

Image source: here

The egg you ate for breakfast...somewhere, someone was so proud to see their hen delivered one on that cold, cold morning.

Image source: here

Did you know that each American farmer provides food for more than 144 people?! 

That's a lot of mouths to feed. 

The purpose of Ag Week is to raise awareness about the industry in hopes to encourage our youth to consider a career in agriculture because let's face it...it's not a 20-something year old's first career choice.

Farmers and Ranchers don’t have weekends off, don’t clock out at 5pm and they sure as hell don’t get holiday pay, but they do what they do for the love of the job. They do what they do for the joy they feel after each season of success, for the pride one feels after assisting in the birth of a calf that otherwise wouldn't have made it. They do what they do for the simple feeling of knowing your hard day of work will show for itself when you ship your animals to market.

On top of the long hours of physical labor, there are a ton of public policy issues this industry deals with on a daily basis. Things I only know of because I get legislative updates through organizations we are a part of like Farm Bureau and the American Sheep Industry. While a ton of people go about their lives, there is a continual battle being fought against legislative issues that threaten the industry...

I’ve never in my life appreciated agriculture as much as I do now. I wish everyone had this experience because despite the constant fight to do what we love, it’s definitely worth it.

How will you celebrate Ag Week?!

I've been working on an event at our local library this Saturday, in honor of Colorado Ag Day which is March 8th! I will be sure to let you all know how it goes!

Happy Agriculture Week, Everyone!

...and don’t forget to thank a farmer or a rancher for that food that is in your belly and that shirt that is on your back!