Photo by Paige Burns Clark
                                Carrots being harvested.

Photo by Paige Burns Clark

Carrots being harvested.

The national celebration of “Farm City Week” takes place every November, traditionally beginning the Friday before Thanksgiving. The event began with a Joint Resolution by Congress in August 1957, in response to a proclamation by President Dwight Eisenhower to recognize the contributions farms make to both rural and urban communities. While communities all across the country recognize Farm City Week in many different ways, even at different times of the year, the goal is to focus appreciation and thanks for agriculture’s contribution to our way of life.

According to Farm Bureau, there are 2 million farms throughout America, 98% of which are family farms, owned by individuals, family corporations and partnerships. 86% of U.S. agricultural products are produced on family farms or ranches. Amazingly, after accounting for input costs – such as fertilizers, equipment, labor, etc. – farmers and ranchers receive only 8 cents out of every dollar spent on food by the American consumer. The remaining 92 cents goes to non-farm costs such as processing, marketing, transportation and distribution. Consider, for example, that a bushel of corn, which weighs 56 pounds, is worth $5.74 to the farmer who grew it. Meanwhile, a box of Corn Flakes, weighing 24 oz, costs $3.64. Farmers and ranchers make up only 2% of the U.S. population, and 25% are beginning farmers (defined as less than 10 years farming), with an average age of 46, while, according to the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture, 34% are 65 and older. According to Carolina Farm Credit, in North Carolina agriculture employs over two million workers all along the supply chain, from farmers and ranchers to shippers, processors, marketers, retailers, and more. The annual economic impact of this complex network is over $424.9 billion to North Carolina’s economy.

Farmers face numerous challenges as they strive to feed, clothe, and house the world. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared “July 2021 the world’s hottest month” in 142 years of record keeping. The record heat wave impacted fruit crops such as cherries and blackberries in Washington State and elsewhere. Record drought in the mid-west has resulted in the sell-down in cattle, including future breeding stock, which will likely lead to high beef prices in the near future. Feed prices are higher than usual, which is good for farmers raising corn, wheat, and soybeans, but hard on meat producers who rely on those crops to feed their animals, increasing their production cost substantially (and which will ultimately be passed on to the consumer).

These challenges come on the heels of the 18-month long pandemic, which caused much disruption in the agriculture industry. With restaurants closed, one of the primary buyers for farm products was shut down (54% of Americans’ food expenditures is for food eaten away from home). Labor shortages, lack of transportation (trucker shortages), and substantial increases in inputs such as fertilizer have all created enormous challenges for farmers.

Famers have always experienced substantial challenges, from extreme weather events, pest outbreaks, and other unforeseeable trials and tribulations. It is the nature of the profession. However, challenges have been especially hard in recent years, yet we continue to enjoy the safest, strongest, and most diverse food supply in the world. Not to mention, the least expensive. During Farm City Week, it’s our chance to show particular appreciation and gratitude for farmers, especially those we know in our own community. One of the highlights of Farm City Week in Richmond County is the Ellerbe Farmers’ Day parade, which this year will be held Saturday, November 20, beginning at 11 am in Downtown Ellerbe. A real, ol’ timey parade, with floats, tractors, horses, fire engines, and of course, Santa Claus bringing up the rear, the Ellerbe Farmers’ Day parade is an annual favorite. The Farmers’ Appreciation Luncheon, bringing farmers and business leaders, city and county officials together, will be held at Camp Millstone on Monday, November 22, from 12 p.m. – 1 pm.

Each year, Farm City Week celebrates the mutual, supportive relationship between rural and urban communities. Each year, we take the opportunity to express our appreciation for the hard work of farmers so we may have a bountiful Thanksgiving. This year, the Richmond County Farm City Week slogan is a simple one. It is, from our hearts: thank you, farmer.

Paige Burns Clark is the director of the Richmond County Cooperative Extension and the Horticulture Agent.