Archer Daniels Midland Company is proud to honor American farmers and the agriculture industry by celebrating their contributions to the nation and the world on National Agriculture Day, March 20, 2008, and during National Agriculture Week, March 16 to 22.
“We are pleased to celebrate the hard-working men and women who are the foundation of the American economy and to help educate citizens about the importance of agriculture’s history and future,” said Greg Webb, vice president of State Government Relations.
This year’s theme was “Agriculture: Bigger than You Think.” To begin the celebration, students gathered in Washington, DC, with leaders from industry and government to celebrate agriculture’s contributions of food, fiber and fuel to the daily lives of people around the world.
Several events were held in our nation’s capital to kick-off the celebration. On March 11, during a luncheon and rally at the Hart Senate Office Building, Senator Saxby Chambliss, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, spoke to FFA members and others, encouraging students to pursue careers in agriculture. Later that day, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer and Dr. Pedro Sanchez of the Earth Institute at Columbia University spoke at a dinner at the USDA Whitten Building.
The events in Washington, DC, were organized by the Agriculture Council of America (ACA), a nonprofit organization composed of leaders in the agriculture industry. As a primary sponsor, ADM supports the ACA and its celebration of American farming through National Agriculture Day and National Agriculture Week.
For more information on National Agriculture Day, visit www.agday.org.
