Dear Editor:
Thanksgiving season is a time when many Americans gather with their families and reflect upon many blessings. One of those blessings is a nutritious and diverse food supply produced by our farmers and ranchers. We also benefit from other agricultural products that provide clothing, housing, medicines, fuel and other products we use on a daily basis. These basic necessities are available to us because of a broad partnership of farmers, ranchers, processors, brokers, truckers, shippers, scientists, wholesalers and retailers. Our collaborative partnerships help maintain our standard of living. In appreciation of our farm-city partnerships, the President of the United States annually proclaims the week leading up to Thanksgiving Day as National Farm-City Week. Florida agriculture, natural resource and food industries employ more than two million individuals and annually contributes $149 billion to Florida’s economy. Union County produces millions of dollars in agricultural products annually. (More County agricultural stats here. Get them at https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/index.php#full_report and https://ifas.ufl.edu/extension-economic-contribution-reports/) We encourage our fellow citizens to pause for a moment this holiday season and consider the many diverse and healthy foods available to us. Neither the farm nor the city can exist in isolation. Our interdependence creates jobs, markets and relationships that build our economy and support our collective security. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us remember the farm-city relationships that have allowed us to create an outstanding quality of life for all Floridians. Please join us in celebrating Farm-City Week, Nov. 15-22, as we give thanks for all that we enjoy.
Laura Crews
Union County Farm Bureau
