The spring planting season is almost here! This week is National Ag Week. National Ag Week is a week designed recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. Every year, producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America join together to recognize the contributions of agriculture.

National Ag Week is organized by the Agriculture Council of America. The ACA is a nonprofit organization composed of leaders in the agricultural, food and fiber community, dedicating its efforts to increasing the public’s awareness of agriculture’s role in modern society.

Here's how you can celebrate National Ag Week in Northeast Iowa as suggested by the FFA:

Monday: Thank a Farmer Day

  • Watch the #SpeakAg Dialogue: What is the biggest challenge young farmers will face in their first five years on the farm? To celebrate the next generation of farming and post on social media about your reaction using #SpeakAg
    • Check out the video and accompanying lesson plan
  • Watch a documentary and write a short response or blog post to post on social media using #SpeakAg Check out
  • Host a farmer’s market
  • Write a Thank You Note to A Farmer
  • Elementary classrooms: Have students write, draw, or create thank you letters or cards to America’s farmers.
    • Students may sign the cards, but please do not include last names
    • Send your classroom thank you notes to:
      American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture
      600 Maryland Ave. SW Suite 1000 W
      Washington, DC 20024

Tuesday: National Agriculture Day

In 2021, March 23rd marks National Agriculture Day, a time when producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America gather to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture.

  • Contact Congress about Agriculture and the FFA
  • Send a Tweet to your Legislators using #NextGenAg and #AgDay
    • Keep in mind that you may not receive a response from an elected official from a tweet, many offices will track how often issues or responses are brought to their attention.
    • Remember that in 2021, Twitter is one of the the resources for reaching solicitations.
  • Call your State Legislators
  • Visit your Local and State Legislators.
  • Fill out a Pocket Card and take it along
  • Invite local and state legislators to visit local farms and ranches
  • Invite local and state legislators to visit your chapter
  • Invite agricultural advisors/lobbyists to speak in your classroom
  • Watch “#SpeakAg Dialogue: How should America Prioritize its farmland?” to hear from experts about how the change in farmland will impact the future of agriculture.
  • For more ideas, check out AgDay.org

Wednesday: School Day

  • Bring your favorite fruit or vegetable to class along with facts about where it was grown and how many producers we have in the US
  • Host a classroom field trip to a local farm or ranch or to a university’s agricultural research farm
  • Post #SpeakAg facts around your school
  • Write a paper for one of your classes (outside of an agricultural education class) on an agricultural topic
  • Share what your SAE is with peers during lunch
  • Teach an agricultural lesson to an elementary class
  • Invite a farmer to speak to a non-agricultural education class

Thursday: Community Day

  • Host a “#SpeakAg Dialogue: What holds the most potential for the future of American food production?” watch party open to the community. Grab some popcorn and have some discussions with your community about what agriculture looks like to them.
  • Post #SpeakAg facts around the Community
  • Volunteer at a local soup kitchen or food pantry while wearing your favorite FFA or agriculture T-shirt
  • Distribute information about agriculture or other information through local stores (Get permission first!)
  • Host an Ag Day Breakfast for local government and business leaders
  • Donate agriculture books to your public library. View some recommended publications.

Friday: Share Your #SpeakAg Story Day

  • Post pictures from your National Ag Week on social media and share your experience with #SpeakAg and #NextGenAg
  • Share your #SpeakAg Story with a friend or family member and ask them about their experiences with agriculture.
  • Send us your experiences here and add to our Advocacy Action Map

(Resources courtesy of FFA)

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