Reflecting On National Ag Day

As I enjoyed National Ag Day on March 22nd, I myself realized I do not appreciate and recognize all the steps my food went through before consuming. I was just plopping my fruits, yogurt, and spinach into my blender to pulverize my morning smoothie without a second thought. As we just celebrate National Ag Week, I think it is important to recognize agriculture in our daily life. We have all heard to jokes about there only being corn in Indiana. I think it is important for us all to think once more second about the agriculture we consume every day.

Montgomery County is a very impressive agricultural county. It is 4th in the state in grains and oilseeds production. But agriculture is more than the corn and soybeans we drive by every day. We eat and breathe Agriculture every day. It fuels our vehicles as well as it fueling our road rage when driving behind a semi hauling grain, or a tractor on the road. It fuels our body and fills our lungs with air. Everything we eat is because someone somewhere grew it. The food you eat was once a plant, it was once an income for another person. The frozen pizza you tossed in the oven last night for an easy supper for your family was the product of a wheat grower, vegetable growers, a dairy farmer, hog farmer, multiple food scientists, and even a writer to perfectly describe concise oven directions. That is why a prayer, or a moment of gratitude before your meal to recognize the process, time, labor, for what you are about to consume on your plate is important.

I encourage readers to think about how Agriculture is a part of your daily life, even though you might be generations removed from a farm, or have no connection to a farm at all. There are so many careers, sciences, and disciplines that go into your meal and fuel.

If you do this reflection and decide you want to have a closer connection to your food, I encourage growing your own food. Start small. One herb in your kitchen window, one tomato plant, one or two pepper plants, or one even green bean plant on your back patio. Plant something you know you will eat. It can be in a bucket, a pot, an old drawer, or even a wooden crate from a craft store. It does not matter, give yourself a reason to celebrate your food, yourself, and your own Agriculture. There are plenty of resources to help you within the county to help you get started.

Master Gardeners are hosting their annual plant sale on April 8th 8am-1pm at the 4-H Fairgrounds.

The event is also going to be educational. Walk around the Exhibit Hall before or after choosing your plants to gain information about how to grow, where to grow, and any other questions you might have. There will be plenty of volunteers from different program groups to gain knowledge from.

Master Gardeners will be selling: annual flowers, hanging baskets, tomatoes, and peppers plants.

Nucor will also be there at 8am to give free trees with the Master Gardeners.

Tricia Herr is the Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator for the Montgomery County Purdue Extension Office. She can be reached at [email protected].