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Mirror highlighting National Ag Day, Week with special sections

By Shawn F. Linenberger - | Mar 19, 2024

National Ag Day, part of National Ag Week, has been an annual event for just more than 50 years.

This year’s National Ag Day is Tuesday.

National Ag Week started Monday and concludes Friday.

The Mirror is highlighting the agriculture week with special sections inside the print editions this week and next and at tonganoxiemirror.com. Stories will feature local 4-H and Tonganoxie FFA memberssf, as well as agriculture in general in Leavenworth County.

The Agriculture Council of America and the National Ag Day program got their starts in 1973.

According to the National Ag Day website, agday.org, ACA is composed of leaders in agriculture, food and fiber communities who work to increase public awareness of agriculture’s role in society.

Here’s a rundown of ACA’s core values:

• Understand how food and fiber products are produced.

• Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.

• Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.

• Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and fiber industry.

This year’s National Ag Day festivities were both in-person and virtual.

Virtual events start at 8 a.m. The lineup is as follows:

• Remarks from Ag Day Chair Jenni Badding, John Deere

• Updates from commodity groups

• Outstanding Farmer America

• Winning essay contest videos

• Ag on the Mall update

• Tributes from Ag Day partners

There also are National Ag Day events in Washington, D.C.

Starting at 7:30 a.m. at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will speak and winning essay contest videos will be shown.

There also will be a student panel discussion and a speech from Zippy Duvall with Farm Bureau.

Also featured are Outstanding Farmers of America and Curt Blades, AEM.

Additionally, Ag Day will be celebrated at the U.S. Capitol.

Congressional speakers are invited, and there will be remarks from Ag Day chair Jenni Badding.

This year’s theme is “Agriculture: Growing a Climate for Tomorrow.”