January 14, 2005
'Food Check-Out Day' Is February 7
The efficiency and productivity of America's farmers benefit consumers at the cash register
By February 7 the average American will have earned enough income to pay for the entire year’s food supply, and state agriculture leaders are encouraging Floridians to remember the efforts of the farmers who make this feat possible.
“Americans enjoy the safest, most abundant and most affordable food supply on earth,” Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said. “Based on U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, it takes just 37 days for the average American to earn enough disposable income to pay for his or her family’s food supply for the entire year.”
Thanks to modern farming techniques, America’s farmers and ranchers are producing more food on fewer acres, leaving more open space for wildlife habitat. Precision farming practices boost crop yields and overall efficiency by using satellite maps and computers to match seed, fertilizer and crop protection applications to local soil conditions.
“Food Check-Out Day is a celebration of the bounty from America’s farms and ranches and how that bounty is shared with American consumers through affordable food prices,” said Carl Loop, president of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation. “Compared to other expenses facing America’s families, food is a bargain. While Americans must only work until early February to pay for their yearly food supply, last year they had to work until April 11 to pay for their taxes.”
The idea for Food Check-Out Day was developed by the American Farm Bureau Women’s Committee and was first observed in 1998 with an event in Chicago. Since then, observances have been held, respectively, in Phoenix, Nashville, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Jacksonville. This year’s event will be held in Orange County, California.
More than 24 million American workers -- representing 17 percent of the total U.S. workforce -- produce, process, sell and trade the nation’s food and fiber. However, only 4.6 million of those people live on farms, which is slightly less than 2 percent of the total U.S. population. There are 2.13 million farms dotting America’s rural landscape.
Florida’s 44,000 commercial farmers grow more than 280 different crops. Florida is the nation’s “winter salad bowl,” providing 80 percent of the fresh vegetables grown in the United States during January, February and March of each year. Year‑round, Florida ranks No. 2 nationally in the U.S. production of fresh vegetables. Agriculture is Florida’s second-leading industry next to tourism, and has an estimated overall economic impact of more than $62 billion annually.
The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general-interest agricultural association with more than 151,000 member-families statewide and Farm Bureaus in 62 counties. Headquartered in Gainesville, the federation is an independent, non-profit agricultural organization.
For more information:
USDA Economic Research Service
The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural
Resources, and Rural America:
http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/CPIFoodAndExpenditures/Data/table7.htm
Food Check-Out Day newspaper public service ad (PDF):
http://www.florida-agriculture.com/pubs/pubform/pdf/Food_Checkout_Day_2005.pdf
Food Check-Out Day radio public service announcements:
http://www.florida-agriculture.com/food_checkout_day.htm
Overview of Florida’s agriculture industry:
http://www.florida-agriculture.com/agfacts.htm
Economic impact of Florida agriculture:
http://www.florida-agriculture.com/economic_impact.htm
Florida Farm Bureau Federation:
http://www.FloridaFarmBureau.org
Food For Thought ... From Florida’s Farmers:
http://www.florida-farmers.com
For more information:
Terence McElroy(850) 488-3022
mcelrot@doacs.state.fl.us
