Letter to the Editor:
Celebrations of great purposes and achievements are officially declared for every day, week and month of the year.  The period of March 18 – 24^th recognizes something vital and basic to everyone. It’s National Agriculture Week.

Less than two percent of America’s population produces the food and fiber needed here and around the world. That enables more than 98 percent of us to pursue dreams and ambitions, which might not include farming. 

Pennsylvania agriculture is among the most diverse in the nation and ranks 19^th in the dollar value of its farm products. Think of a major food item and chances are that Pennsylvania’s farmers are among the top-ten producers. The Commonwealth’s supply of food, fiber and emerging alternative fuel increases our security in an uncertain world. 

Agriculture starts with the work of farm families and is enhanced all the way to the table. Chances are there is someone in your immediate or extended family whose job helps link our farms with our refrigerators.

Farmers have always had to deal with challenge and change. The hurdles we face range from adverse weather to dismal market prices with plenty of other risks in between. A farmer’s inclination is to persist, hoping that next year will be better. Sometimes it is; often times it is not. That’s when a productive farm of many generations becomes empty buildings and idle farmland. The dairy industry is struggling against such prospects right now.

Flying over Pennsylvania is an unforgettable image. Most of the time when looking out the window, one sees the splendor of farming. Understanding and support of agriculture by the public is appreciated by farm families and helps secure its future in the Commonwealth.

Sincerely,

Carl T. Shaffer, President Pennsylvania Farm Bureau