Next week is National Agriculture Week and Tuesday, March 24, is National Ag Day, an event hosted by the Agriculture Council of America. Watch for a special tribute to agriculture in Sunday’s Great Bend Tribune.

During 2020’s National Ag Week and National Ag Day, we’re reminded that one U.S. farm feeds 165 people — and you — annually.

If you want more ways to celebrate the abundance that agriculture supplies us every day, Monday is “Thank a Farmer Day.”

Eli Mittermeyer from Loraine, Illinois, wrote this year’s winning essay for National Ag Day. Eli reminds readers that, “The food we enjoy at our table exists because of the dedication of America’s farmers and ranchers. ... They must embrace new technology while respecting old traditions and their business requires not only a significant financial investment, it requires an investment of blood, sweat and tears while battling frustrating working conditions, weather hardships, economic challenges, and more. Farmers do all this to provide us with bountiful and affordable food, so when we sit down to eat, the farmer who produced the food joins us, but that farmer joins more than just our family, as each U.S. farm feeds 166 people annually.”

There’s no parade for farmers this week. In fact, Ag Day events in Washington, D.C., have been canceled due to multiple government closures and concern for attendees. But a quiet moment of tribute at least is in order. As Karen Jones Growmark wrote in her Ag Day blog for agday.org, “As we celebrate National Ag Day, let’s join together to recognize all American farmers, and thank them for their dedication to safe, affordable, and abundant production year in and year out.”

The Kansas Wheat Association reminds us that while people are rushing to grocery stores to buy staples, experts in the agriculture industry say we don’t need to worry about food shortages, because for many Kansas farmers, it’s business as usual.