Dear Editor:
The foundation of our well-being as a society depends upon the domestic production of food. Our farmers and ranchers provide us with an abundant, nutritious food supply throughout the year.
In recognition of this achievement, members of the Union County Farm Bureau and Spires IGA in Lake Butler will celebrate Food Check-Out Week from Feb. 13 through Feb.17. We will have a display inside Spires IGA in Lake Butler. We will be having a drawing for 2-$100 grocery coupons to be used at Spires IGA. We urge everyone to stop by our display and register. We will also have a display at the Union County Library. We are pleased to share this abundance with our fellow residents.
Thanks to the productivity and efficiency of Florida’s agricultural producers, they continue to maintain a stable bounty of food in our communities. Their dedication and skill levels have overcome a difficult marketplace, weather extremes and plant and animal pests and diseases.
Their effective natural resource management provides crucial environmental benefits to all Floridians. According to state officials, farmers and ranchers conserve 12 billion gallons of water each year by their care.
Farm families achieve these successes despite receiving a steadily smaller portion of the retail grocery dollar. According to new U.S. Department of Agriculture data, in 1973 farmers and ranchers received approximately 30 cents out of every dollar spent on food. By 2018. the share farmers and ranchers received had declined to approximately 10.3 cents. The pattern remains the same for this year. Off-farm costs – processing, packaging, transportation, wholesaling, and retailing – account for the majority of the food prices consumers pay. Most of the recent increases in retail food prices have been the result of higher prices of energy needed to process, haul and refrigerate food.
Our bountiful domestic food supply is the product of skill and dedication. We invite area residents to join us in celebrating the farmers and ranchers who grow healthy and nutritious foods. The Union County Farm Bureau urges you to join us in our Food Check-Out Week event. We are proud to highlight Florida agriculture and the people who make it successful.
Sincerely,
Tommy Crawford, President
Union County Farm Bureau
