This is a day to honor and thank all of the hardworking farmers and ranchers who plow, sow, grow, and harvest to feed our nation. We especially rely on farmers to get fresh food on our tables during these uncertain times. Let’s pay tribute to the men, women, and families who put food in the grocery stores and on our tables every day.

From very early in American culture, farmers set an example with their endless hard work. Not only do they provide a nation with the food we eat, but they also contribute to our economy in numerous ways. Before seeds even find their way into the ground, farmers supply a stream of jobs. From manufacturing, marketing, and tourism, farmers keep small and large communities going strong.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalFarmersDay

While thanking a farmer is one way to celebrate the day, consider these opportunities to learn more about farming.

• Learn more about the farm to table process.
• Discover more about all the foods you consume.
• Attend small-town festivals. These often showcase the food and culture of farm life. By supporting the festivals, you’re also supporting the farmer and their communities.
• Support local farmers. How?
  • Buy fruits and vegetables from a farmer’s market.
  • Another way to support local farmers is by investing in cooperative farming.
  • Visit pick your own farms. These farms not only offer fresh fruits and vegetables but hands-on experience harvesting. While you’re not using equipment, you will get to enjoy an afternoon with friends and family. It’s also an educational experience, too.
  • Other fun and educational farm experiences are found at pumpkin patches. These farm settings offer a wide variety of activities full of autumn produce often grown locally. When you show your support for your farmers, you also support your community.
• Visit your local small-town historical societies. Not only do they record the history of the town, but with it the history of the farmers who helped to build the foundations of small-town America.