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Oregon celebrates National Agriculture Week 2012
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2/28/2012
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Article Content
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Oregon agriculture contributes to the economy & environment
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Director Coba hopes Oregonians remember to thank farmers
Oregonians and citizens across the United States have a chance to say thank you to the nation's farmers and ranchers this coming week, and maybe learn something about agriculture in the process. That's the hope of Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Katy Coba as National Agriculture Week takes place March 4-10. The annual event is designed to salute more than two million agricultural operators in the US and nearly 39,000 farmers and ranchers in Oregon.
Nationally, Ag Week and Ag Day, celebrated March 8, encourage every American to understand how food and fiber products are produced, value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy, and appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant, and affordable products.
Director Coba agrees with those three goals and emphasizes their importance in an interview regarding National Agriculture Week:
Do you agree that every American should understand how food, fiber, and renewable resource products are produced?
"Absolutely. We in the industry know where food comes from and how it's produced. But we can't lose sight of the fact that most Americans don't. People are becoming further and further removed from the farm and the ranch. It used to be a couple of generations ago, if you didn't grow up on a farm, you had an aunt or an uncle on a farm, or a grandfather or friends. It is just becoming more and more remote. People walking the streets of a big city probably don't understand where their food and clothing comes from. So it becomes more incumbent upon those of us in agriculture to tell that story. We may feel like we are being repetitive. But I don't think we can say often enough about what farmers, ranchers, and processors in Oregon or across the United States do day-to-day, the wonderful products they grow, and the fact that they get them to market and into our consuming hands at such a relatively inexpensive cost. It truly is amazing."
Is agriculture's contribution to our economy another important lesson for citizens?
"Yes. Agriculture's contribution to the US economy and to Oregon's economy is huge. I think that also goes unrecognized by most Americans. Let's just talk about the export side for a moment. In Oregon, 80 percent of what we grow leaves our state's borders. Half of that moves into an international market. Agriculture contributes to one of the areas where we have a positive trade balance. The US still has a negative trade balance. Overall, we import more than we export. Without agriculture, that disparity would be even larger than it is now. We export more agriculture than we import. So it helps our nation's trade balance. It certainly helps us bring outside money here to the state of Oregon."
"Agriculture's contribution to Oregon's economy represents about 10 percent of the state's gross economy. That is very significant- second only to high tech in Oregon- and I predict that agriculture's importance in our economy is going to grow in the future. There is still a lot more opportunity for us to expand the economic footprint of agriculture in this state. It is going to take some decision making and probably some investment on the part of the state to do that- another reason why we need Oregonians to understand the importance of agriculture, what farmers and ranchers do, how they do it, and the impact of their effort on the Oregon economy."
It is important for Oregonians to know where their food comes from, but isn't it also important for them to appreciate the abundance of safe, high-quality food that is relatively affordable?
"That's a big message. I think we forget how lucky we are. All it takes is for you to travel to a less fortunate country. Most other places in the world don't have nearly the diversity and food choices that we have. Also, they pay such a higher percentage of their income for their daily food needs. We can walk into a grocery store any time of the year and have such an amazing array of fresh fruits and vegetables. The variety of all kinds of products that is available to us- we often take it for granted. I do think Oregonians and Americans are becoming more aware of the importance of food, certainly with the concern around obesity and the need to focus on eating healthier that's coming to light. Agriculture is going to have to play a role in making sure we have that healthy food available to us."
Is National Agriculture Week a good time to send a message about food safety as well?
"Food safety and food security, I would say. Food safety from the standpoint that we have one of the safest food supplies in the world, another thing we take for granted. Yet we've seen outbreaks of food borne pathogens that cause illness and even death in the US. That's a big concern to producers. Being able to take advantage of technology and making sure producers and processors are doing everything they can to keep food safe is going to continue to be a high focus. From a food security standpoint, where do you want your food to come from? We are dependent on other nations for our energy sources. We do not want to become dependent on other nations for our food source- another reason why we've got to pay attention to what is going on in agriculture, and continue to support farmers' and ranchers' ability to produce food in the United States."
What do you think should be the take home message for all Oregonians during National Agriculture Week and Ag Day 2012?
"The number one message for National Agriculture Week every year is- thank you to our farmers and our ranchers and our processors and everyone who is involved in raising and getting food to yours and my plate. We enjoy amazing food each and every day. This is the time of the year- one week, if nothing more- where we can say thank you to our neighbors and friends who farm and ranch so we can have the wonderful and diverse array of food that we enjoy."
For more information, contact Bruce Pokarney at (503) 986-4559.
Story of the Week pdf version
http://oregon.gov/ODA/docs/pdf/news/120229agweek.pdf
Audio Story of the Week
http://oregon.gov/ODA/news/120229agweek_audio.shtml
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