Agriculture Storybook Time at the Morgan County Fair

July 26, 2016July 26, 2016 / Sarah Thomas Cleveland / 1 Comment

Reading and agriculture have always been a daily part of my life. Growing up my mother always read to me. She instilled a love for reading and education that has stayed with me into my adult life and professional career. My farmer father, planted my passion for agriculture in me that has also helped me attain some of my personal and professional goals. Those goals lead me to become a teacher and an active advocate for agriculture in my community. I am a teacher at Monrovia Elementary School and a first year Morgan County Fair Board member. One of the many reasons I wanted to join the board was to use my experience in education to help promote agriculture to the general public. I saw the county fair as a perfect platform to present agriculture education materials. With this goal in mind, I presented an idea to the board to incorporate reading and agriculture, Agriculture Storybook Time. This idea is much like the storybook events that happen at your local libraries or bookstores where children gather around to listen to someone read a story. This new event will take place at the Morgan County Fair (July 29 – Aug. 6) everyday on the Free Stage. There will be two opportunities to hear stories about agriculture at 11:00 a.m. and 5 p.m. A different book about agriculture will be read each time by a volunteer from the community.

These are some of the books that will be read.

As a lifelong member of Morgan County and 10 Year 4-H Member, I have attended the Morgan County fair since I was a baby. As the years have passed, I have noticed the need for more educational events for small children and their families to participate in during the fair. Agriculture Storybook Time gives children and their families an opportunity to do something at the fair as a family and to participate in an agricultural education experience. Studies have shown the importance of reading to a child for at least 20 minutes a day and the great impact it can have on a child’s development. Reading and/or listening to someone else read helps children’s brain and literacy skills develop. With the busy schedules families have today, it is hard to get in that special reading time especially during the summer months. Agriculture Storybook Time will create an opportunity for children to get this important reading time.

In addition to receiving the recommended 20 minutes of reading, children will learn about agriculture and what farmers do on their farms through the books I have selected to be read during Agriculture Storybook Time. Every child and their family members are consumers, but many are so far removed from the farm and where their food comes from they don’t understand the work farmers are doing for them. This opportunity will help bridge the gap between consumers and our farmer producers.

To sum it up, I encourage you to attend our Morgan County Fair (July 29 – Aug 6) and stop by the Free Stage at 11:00 a.m. and/or 5:00 p.m. for Agriculture Storybook Time. I hope you enjoy this special reading time with your family while learning something I am very passionate about, agriculture!

Agriculture Appreciation Month Summed Up

March 30, 2016March 30, 2016 / Sarah Thomas Cleveland / Leave a comment

March is my favorite month of the year. I love to see everything come to life after it’s long winter rest. I love seeing new life on the farm. I also love seeing my family and other farmer friends prepare for the planting season. To me, January is not for new beginnings, March is.

I also love the month of March because it’s Agriculture Appreciation Month and there is nothing I enjoy more than educating, promoting, AGvocating, and appreciating farmers and all their hard work they do for me.

This year to celebrate those hands that feed us, my sister, mother, and I donated books about agriculture to all of the elementary school libraries in our home county of Morgan County. We donated them in memory of my father, Tim Thomas, who passed away in a farming accident 6 years ago. Our hope is for the librarians, teachers, and students to use these books to help educate their students and/or themselves about the importance of agriculture and farmers. I enjoyed picking out the books and educator guides we donated. It was so hard to only donate a couple! So, my sister, mom, and I decided we will continue to donate and grow the ag book bundles for each library in Morgan County in the years to come.

As a teacher I have many opportunities to teach my students about agriculture. Throughout “Ag Week” (March 14-18) I read many books about farmers, farming, and ag products to help my students understand what farmers do for them and how they get their food and other products they need to live. After we read the books and watched MANY Peterson Farm Brothers videos we brainstormed and wrote down facts about farmers and farming on our planning sheets. Then, my students took their notes to write sentences about farmers. After their writing was complete I let them create their own farmers. My students had so much fun doing this!

I did a lesson on seeds and plants with my kindergarten class. We read books about what all seeds need to grow for them to turn into the plants we eat. Then we made seed necklaces. This was a fun way for them to learn about seeds and then take their seed home and plant it if they wish.

As a member of the Morgan County Young Farmers I helped some of our young farmers go into classrooms in our county to read agriculture books to students. Our president, Patrick Maxwell, visited a school in Mooseville’s school district. He read to his cousin’s students. Our secretary, Maggie Voyles, visited South Elementary, a school in Martinsville’s school district. Joe Cleveland, our treasurer visited Monrovia Elementary school and member, Wayne Vaught, visited Eminence Elementary. Together our young farmer group reached every school district in our county to help educate students about ag. I was so proud of our young farmers for doing this and I hope to plan more visits to schools in our county for our members.

At my school, Monrovia Elementary School, I planned an Agriculture Appreciation convocation. All of the students in my school building came to the gym. There I gave a quick little speech about famers and farming and why it is important we know what they do and to thank them every chance we get. Then, my principal, Mrs. York, read How Did That Get in my LunchBox? This book was one of the books we donated in honor of my Dad. I also made a power point of the pages so our students could see the colorful book pages as Mrs. York read aloud. When she finished reading I played the Peterson Farm Brothers’ video, I’m so Farmer. The students and staff absolutely loved the songs and message!

This month I also cowrote an article with my sister, Katie, about women in agriculture that was published in our local newspaper. I love writing with my sister. Agriculture has connected us in such a unique way and we love sharing our writing on our blogs and in our hometown publication.

To sum it up, March provides opporutinties for me to share the story of agriculture. Please say a prayer for farmers as the prepare for the busy planting season. Pray for safe travel to and from the fields. Pray for good weather to get the crop in the ground. And always, always praise and be thankful for their hard work. Do your part to appreciate agriculture and thank a farmer.

Ag Day 2015

March 17, 2015March 18, 2015 / Sarah Thomas Cleveland / Leave a comment

Happy National Ag Day! I am excited this year’s theme is “Agriculture: Sustaining Future Generations” because I get to work with our future generation almost every day. I am excited for their future and hope many of them choose a path in agriculture. I know my kindergarten, first, and second grade students are a long way from deciding what to do with their future, but it is my job to help lead them there. It just so happens I am a little biased about the opportunities ag has to offer them and will promote them as much as I can while they are in my classroom.

Below is a piece my sister, Katie and I wrote together. To sum it up, we ask that you join with us today in celebrating the past, present, and most importantly future of agriculture.

Ag Day 2015: Celebrate Agriculture & Our Next Generation of Farmers

As we praise the warm weather and new beginnings that spring brings, we want to remind you that our farmers are starting to gather in the fields to produce this year’s crop and the food that comes to your table each and every day.

This year’s National Agriculture Day is March 18^th and the theme is “Agriculture: Sustaining Future Generations”. This is a day to celebrate and support agriculture and the people that work in the agriculture industry even though we hope many of you celebrate more than one day of the year. These “people” are the farmers and ranchers that grow crops, raise, and care for livestock and tend to the land.

When we think of farmers, many times we think of overalls and a pitchfork. But in today’s agriculture world, more and more farmers are communicating via their smart phone from their tractors and using technologies that make our farms more efficient. The old pitchforks have turned into iPads. Even with the adoption of new technologies, we still face issues within agriculture. Many people outside the agriculture family don’t realize the issues we are facing today with aging farmers. Today, the average American farmer or rancher is 55 years old or older. Young people are not returning to the farm to work and take over the age-old tradition of farming. Instead they are looking elsewhere for more “attractive” jobs that have a typical 9-5 hour schedule, vacation days and less physically demanding work.

This is everyone’s problem because we need the next generation of farmers and ranchers to raise our crops and livestock to sustain our lifestyles as consumers. With the world population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, who will grow and raise our food? We need a next generation of farmers, ranchers and agriculturists to take on that task. Whether they come back to the farm or ranch to work, work for companies that create the technologies used on the farms, or help develop policies farmers and ranchers need to sustain their family farms, we need someone to take on the task. Also, we need people to teach the next generation about agriculture and where their food comes from. Without a doubt, there are many jobs that need to be filled in the agriculture industry.

Living in Indiana we are lucky to have various options for the next generation to be a part of this agriculture family. We have a strong agriculture sector ranging from a leading land grant university that provides educational and extension services to every citizen and a growing technology and innovation sector that includes companies like Dow AgroSciences and Elanco. We also have seed companies that provide more innovative agronomic tools for our farms and a livestock sector that provides food to people around the world. Our Indiana agriculture sector generates more than $25.4 billion towards Indiana’s gross domestic product and employees more than 475,000 Hoosiers, which attributes to roughly 20% of our workforce.

So how you can you help find the next generation of farmers, ranchers and members of the agriculture family? Encourage a young person to learn more about jobs in agriculture. Attend a forum or meeting that discusses ag issues and policies that affect our farming and our food. Visit local events, county and state fairs and farms to show your support of famers and ranchers. Educate yourself on local, state, national and world food and ag issues. Support your local FFA chapters, 4-H clubs, or young farmer groups. Let them know that they are needed and that you really need them too.

Agriculture is a part of our heritage and we hope it continues to be a strong part of our future in Indiana and in our country. As farm girls who wore overalls, loved showing animals and eating sweet corn from our own farm, we hope you take a moment to celebrate National Ag Day today and every day with us. Do your part in sustaining agriculture’s future generations which include you too.

Indiana Young Farmer Conference 2015

February 4, 2015February 5, 2015 / Sarah Thomas Cleveland / 3 Comments

As I pulled into the parking lot looking for a place to park I found many trucks taking up most of the spaces. These trucks had front license plates that read, “Got milk?, BEEF, Boiler Up!,” or the FFA emblem. This was the first sign that I knew I was in the right place.

This past weekend I attended the Indiana Farm Bureau Young Farmer Conference in Indianapolis. I, along with other Young Farmer members from my home county of Morgan County had the opportunity to network with fellow young farmers from around the state, discuss industry issues, and gain advice and inspiration from speakers. This conference provided us with more tools we need to help share agriculture’s story. We advocate for agriculture or what I like to call, “AGvocate.”

Stickers we received and wore to show we are “AGvocates.”

We also had the opportunity to help fellow hungry Hoosiers by packing 30, 888 meals for Pack Away Hunger. To me this was such a special moment during the conference. I was in a room creating these meals with people that grow and raise food. Without them that moment wouldn’t be possible. This is one of many reasons I enjoy being a part of the Young Farmer group. It is not only a group of people that share a similar passion for agriculture, but it is also a service group. We work together to make a positive impact for our communities.

Morgan County Young Farmer members with packed boxes of meals for Pack Away Hunger.

Another one of my favorite moments of the conference was listening to Kelly Barnes speak about how to “create great moments more often.” Barnes was raised on a family farm in Oklahoma. He knows how important farmers and ranchers are to their communities, their states, the U.S., and the world. “People in the world need you [farmers and ranchers]. People will be better off because you’re here. People are fortunate because you exist.”

Read more about Barnes’s recipe for creating great moments more often by jumping on over to my friend and fellow Young Farmer member, Chelsea Nord O’Brien’s (she recently got hitched, but will forever be Nord to me) blog, Boilermaker Ag.

“Like” Boilermaker Ag and Young Farmers of Morgan County on Facebook to stay up to date on Agriculture industry news and what’s happening with the Morgan Co. Young Farmers.

To sum it up, work on creating great moments more often and always remember to thank a Farmer!

A Generous and Giving Breed

January 27, 2015January 28, 2015 / Sarah Thomas Cleveland / 2 Comments

By Katie Thomas Glick and Sarah Thomas

It was a chilly December Saturday on the farm. The barn lot was covered with snow and filled with several semis, but our family didn’t own all of them. So, why were there so many semis parked in the snow covered barn lot? While many of you were listening to Christmas music and finishing up your shopping, our family was trying to finish harvest. Yes, just because the seasons according to the weather change does not mean they have changed for the farmer. Only a few of those semis belonged to our family, the others belonged to different farmers. Farmers who were so generous to give up their time and help our family. This year was a bountiful harvest (the largest in our state’s history), but it was a wet harvest. We needed more space to store the corn and soybeans we grow in our grain bins. These farmers came with their semis to load and haul away grain so our family could have room to store our grain in the bins.

Semis that belong to our fellow farmer friends that came to help us back in December.

That day was also a familiar scene. The barn lot was full of other farmers’ semis over five years ago, the day after our father’s funeral. Some of our farmer friends came out to the farm with their semis to help take loads to a grain elevator and give a beautiful tribute to our father. It was amazing to see our farming community come together when one of their own needed help. That’s what farmers do. They give help when it’s needed. They are a generous breed.

Semis lined up in our barn lot the day after our Father’s funeral, November 28, 2009, as tribute to his life and work on our family farm.

Farmers are also dreamers and gamblers. They dream for a perfect year that brings perfect weather that will help yield the perfect crop. But they know that the perfect year will never come, and yet they still take that gamble. Farmers know that there can never be a perfect year because there is always different types of circumstances that get in the way. Whether those circumstances are the weather, a death of a local farmer or the fluctuating markets, they will continue to make that gamble and strive for the perfect harvest. And when these circumstances begin to slow them down, others from their breed come with helping hands, and in our case, a semi too.

They give so much of their time to their farm and their lives to the land while every season brings new challenges but new opportunities.

Farmers live and die by seasons, and they learn to appreciate each one of them. All four bring their positives and negatives. Spring brings warm weather to melt the snow and warm up the ground where the farmers plant their seeds and begin again. They pray that a late frost doesn’t coat their crops and that rain doesn’t flood and wash them away. Farmers’ prayers in the summer include timely rain in June and July for the corn and in August for the soybeans. And it shouldn’t include heat and dry weather that lasts weeks on end. The harvest prayer is for safety in the fields, on the roads and at the farm. Winter is a time to plan for the spring planting season, rest up a little and spend time with fellow farmers at meetings learning about new farm practices or how to make our farms better for our families and all those we feed.

We aren’t saying that farmers work harder or give back more than other professions. Well, we might be a little biased especially during some of God’s seasons like spring and fall. What we are saying is that they appreciate the seasons and care for the earth they are given and the people they provide for. We were fortunate to learn that lesson on our family farm and hope to share it with others.

The year our father passed was also a late harvest. At times we watched snowflakes coat the corncobs that were left standing in the field. But they weren’t there long thanks to the farmers who came to help with our harvest. We are forever grateful for your friendship, commitment to agriculture and your hard working, caring hands. You are a generous and giving breed.

Celebrate the Harvest

November 5, 2014November 7, 2014 / Sarah Thomas Cleveland / Leave a comment

By Sarah Thomas and Katie Thomas Glick

You have seen them, passed them or heard them. Some are green and others are red, there may be yellow ones too.

It’s harvest time. Farmers are in their fields picking crops they have nurtured since spring.

We lost our farmer in the middle of harvest. It was five years ago this Thanksgiving when the tractors were still rolling in the fields and the grain dryer was buzzing through the cold, clear night air. And to this day we still celebrate his life and we still celebrate the harvest.

For the farmer, fall is not about pumpkin spiced flavor drinks and treats. It’s not about taking selfies by the changing leaves or who has the highest score in a fantasy football league. When those leaves begin to change farmers are making sure their equipment is working properly, scheduling loads to grain elevators and making sure their livestock has all the necessities they need for the changing season.

Those monstrous machines you see in the fields and taking up much of the road and shoulder are called combine harvesters. Their job is all in the name; they harvest the crops. Combines are the most important piece of equipment in the fall season. You will also see tractors with a “big wagon” hitched to the back that runs alongside the combine. That wagon is actually called a grain cart. Its job is also all in the name as well. It carts grain from the combine which is harvesting the crops. And then there are semis. The grain from the grain cart is transported into the bed (back end) of the semi. The semi then gets on the road to deliver the grain to grain bins or silos back on the farm. From there, the grain bin stores and dries the grain until the farmer is ready to sell and transport it to a different destination, like a grain elevator or a livestock farm.

In Indiana, our farmers have a variety of options for their corn and soybeans after the harvest. They can keep it on their farm and store in in their grain bins, they can deliver it to a country elevator by semi or a container yard for transport by train or even a barge terminal along the river for it to be sent down the Ohio River to the Mississippi and then be sent somewhere around the world, most likely China or Japan. They can load it by semi to be sent to a soybean processer to make soybean meal and oils or to an ethanol plant to make ethanol and DDGs (distillers dried grains which is used for livestock feed).

In Indiana, we plant a lot of corn and soybeans with other crops being grown throughout the year including wheat, sorghum, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables.

In our state, we mainly think of harvest during the fall. However, there are so many other crops that are harvested throughout the year. Think about your garden and summer farmer’s markets. The agriculture family has stepped up our game in recent years in regards to educating consumers about where their food comes from and about the seasons in which they plant, nurture and harvest. The new documentary film “Farmland” follows several young farmers from around our country and highlights the various faces of farming and what the future of agriculture looks like. One farmer featured is a cattle rancher in Texas while another is an organic farmer in California and yet another poultry farmer in Georgia. All very different but all farmers working in agriculture with harvests that occur throughout the year. You can now watch “Farmland” on Hulu and step foot on these farms and ranches to learn more about agriculture and be a part of their harvest.

As our Indiana farmers are in the thick of harvest and the month of November is a time to gather around the table with family and friends to celebrate, remember to give thanks for the food on your table. Give thanks for those that planted it, nurtured it, harvested it, took time away from their families to provide it for you and may have lost their lives when the combine was still rolling. Give thanks for the old farmers, the young farmers and the future farmers. Give thanks for the harvest because you are a part of it too.

You’re Gonna Want to See This

October 14, 2014 / Sarah Thomas Cleveland / 1 Comment

FARMLAND, a documentary about six farmers and ranchers in their 20s being stewards of the land. Award winning director, James Moll with the help of U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance has given this diverse group of farmers and ranchers a chance to share their story with you.

I grew up on a grain farm in central Indiana. I know and understand where my food comes from. I am confident in and trust the hands that grow and produce my food. To sum it up, I know what’s up in the agriculture industry. But for those who do not know or have questions about where your food comes from or more specifically who grows and produces that food, this movie is a must see for you.

Or if you are like me and know first hand what the life of a farmer or rancher is like, this movie is still for you. I felt like a cheerleader on the sidelines watching my teammates on the big screen. I couldn’t help but love that they were given this opportunity to share their stories.

During the month of October, Farmland can be watched for FREE on Hulu. Click here to watch.

So, to sum it up educate yourself or be a supporter for those hands that feed us. Watch it!

Lessons On How to Eat an Oreo

June 15, 2014June 17, 2014 / Sarah Thomas Cleveland / 7 Comments

My Dad loved Oreos. We ALWAYS had them in this jar labeled, “Munchies” because that’s exactly what he would do after dinner. He would munch on a couple of Oreos or a couple spoonfuls of apple sauce. It was weird but it gave him his sweet tooth fix I guess.

This is one of my all time favorite pictures of my Dad and me. I don’t know why because it goes to show even at a young age I was a messy eater. But Dad was always right there beside me so I could use his shirt sleeve to clean my face off. I blame that act on why I seem to always forget to grab a napkin when I sit down to eat. But I love how he is right there beside me, bent down to where it looks like he is telling me something. I am sure he was just sharing with me lessons on how to eat an Oreo. But then I bet he got tired of telling me how to do it, so instead he showed me.

Dad was always right there beside me if or when I needed him. He was there in all his silent yet very much known presence.

Dad was never critical of my mistakes or decisions. He never really told me what to do. He SHOWED me what to do.

The man was ALWAYS on the go and you just had to learn to keep up if you wanted to learn anything from him at all.

He was a role model in the truest sense.

He modeled how you should care for yourself, and for others.

Whether it was working all day long at the farm, Sunday nights, rainy or snowy days the man never could sit still for long. I remember during the winter months when there wasn’t much physical labor for him to do on the farm, he would go down to the basement and jump rope. Jump rope for what seemed like FOR-E-V-ER (read that in the voice from that kid on The Sandlot). And I could never get out of that jump rope session, especially during basketball or volleyball seasons.

“You need quick feet Sarah,” he’d say as I counted my jumps and he’d take a seat on the couch after he was done with his jumps and change the channel to AMC or TCM to find an old classic movie to watch. I remember asking if I should stop so I wouldn’t be in his view of John Wayne or Gary Cooper.

But no worries I was never in his way because he’d say, “Oh, you have quick feet now?”

So I would say nothing to him but start my new count of jumps.

Now that I am telling this story I should probably go pull out a jump rope and work on my “quick feet.”

He also showed me how to be strong…..

And he showed me how to have a sense of humor.

The thing that I took away most from my role model was how to treat people.

He had such a way with people. Through his actions you could tell that he really did care about his friends, family and even strangers.

After he passed away, some of my closest friends and I were sitting in the basement drinking some Miller Lites and looking at pictures. One of the boys said, “You know when he asked you how you were, he was really asking because he wanted to know. And he’d listen.”

I remember sitting there hearing that statement and thinking, “man my Dad really cared about him and he knew Dad did too.”

The man was a great friend to have. He was there if you needed help or if you just wanted to have a good time.

He had friends of ALL ages. He could go to dinner with the camping group, otherwise known as “The Village”, but end his night hanging out with my sister, me and our closest friends. He was old and young all at the same time.

He loved going to Purdue Football games and meeting up with his college roommates.

He loved going camping and to the Elks with the men from The Village.

He loved taking me to volleyball practice and starting a game of horse with some poor girl’s bored brother on an empty court.

He loved working along side his first friends, his big and little brothers on the farm.

He loved sitting around a fire with my sister and her friends drinking Miller Lite and jumping over badminton nets with the boys just to show them he’s still got it.

He just loved being around people.

You want to know how I know he loved all these things? Because he showed up, asked how they were or how he could help. He SHOWED up.

To sum it up, thanks Pops for showing me how to eat those Oreos and so much more.

Read more lessons from my Dad here and happy Father’s Day to all those dads out there!

Where’s the Farmer without the Farmer’s Wife?

March 26, 2014 / Sarah Thomas Cleveland / Leave a comment

With this week being National Agriculture Week I want to continue sharing the story of American agriculture. While I love AGvocating for America’s farmers, I cannot forget to thank the women who stand next to them, the farmer’s wife. The three most important women in my life are farmer’s wives. My grandmother was a farmer’s wife for 37 years, and my mother was one for 28 years until the day God made the call to take their Farmers to their heavenly home. My sister became a farmer’s wife just last year and many of my closest family friends are farmer’s wives. Through their examples I know exactly the kind of wife and woman I want to be.

So, today I celebrate the women who stand next to and support the hands that feed us, the Farmer’s Wife. To sum it up, thank you for being farmers too.

Below is a poem inspired by Paul Harvey’s, “So God Made a Farmer,” written by Sierra Shea.

National Agriculture Day 2014

March 25, 2014March 25, 2014 / Sarah Thomas Cleveland / 3 Comments

By Katie Thomas Glick & Sarah Thomas

When we sit down for a meal, it has become common practice to give thanks for those that have prepared the meal in front of us. However, do we go beyond those that have cooked the food to those that planted, nurtured and harvested the food? Do we thank our farmers enough for growing the corn, soybeans, wheat, vegetables and fruits along with caring for our animals?

As sisters that grew up on a farm, we have always appreciated where we came from and the soil under our feet. However, after losing our father, Tim Thomas, in a farming accident in 2009, we decided to dedicate our lives to telling the story of agriculture. Today is National Agriculture Day and we invite you to learn something new about agriculture today and to thank a farmer. If you don’t know a farmer, pray for them as they prepare for planting in the coming months or send a good thought their way when there is too much rain or not enough. You can also show your appreciation by remaining patient as your drive behind a tractor traveling from field to field.

Farmers never have a day off–from planting the crops to caring for the land, worrying about the weather, staying up late in the cold to watch a cow have her baby calf to preparing for a days work before the sun rises and harvesting after the sunset. And the worry of the weather, it’s constantly on their minds even in the winter on how much snow will fall and replenish the soil in the their fields. We heard something true recently, “mother nature never takes a day off” and neither do farmers.

Today is National Agriculture Appreciation Day but really, to us and many others, every day is agriculture appreciation day. Every day the farmer gets up to tend to his crops or livestock to make sure they are safe and prospering for us. We are consumers, almost everything we use in our day starts with the farmer. We want to help consumers understand the work of the farmer.

Below are a few fun facts and websites we wanted to share with you as you learn more about where your food comes from and the families that grow the crops and/or raise the animals. If you have questions, ask a farmer or do your part as a consumer and research the facts before assuming what you hear is true. We have the luxury of having an abundant, safe and affordable food supply in the United States and we need to remember to thank our American farmers for their hard work and dedication.

Indiana Agriculture Rankings (According to USDA NASS)
> Ranks 2nd in tomatoes for processing (Red Gold is located in Indiana)
> Ranks 2nd in spearmint
> Ranks 4th in soybeans
> Ranks 4th in total eggs produced
> Ranks 5th for number of pigs
> Ranks 5th in corn for grain

Fun Farm Facts:
> According to the 2007 USDA Agriculture Census, 95% of farms are family owned and operated.
> One acre of soybeans can produce 82,000 crayons.
> In the U.S., we spend less than 10% of our income on food versus 18-25% around the world, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
> There are 29 different cuts of beef that meet government guidelines.
> A cow will produce an average of nearly 7 gallons of milk each day. That’s more than 2,500 gallons each year.
> For every dollar spent on food in America, the farmer sees less than 12 cents.

National Ag Day, http://www.agday.org
U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, http://www.fooddialogues.com/
Common Ground, http://www.findourcommonground.com
Sarah Sums It Up, http://www.sarahsumsitup.com