UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service

458 Highway 98 North

Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578

Phone: (863) 763-6469

E- mail:  dfculbert@ifas.ufl.edu

January 26, 2005

Feature Article - for release the week of January 30, 2005

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent

Food Check out Day – February 7th

By February 7th the average American will have earned enough income to pay for the entire year's food supply. State and local agriculture leaders are encouraging Floridians to remember the efforts of the farmers who make this feat possible -including the 7% of our county's population that are partners in producing abundant food for a hungry world.     

Recently our Agricultural Agents attended the Florida Cattlemen’s Institute, where Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson reminded ranchers that Americans enjoy the safest, most abundant and most affordable food supply on earth.  "Based on U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, it takes just 37 days for the average American to earn enough disposable income to pay for his or her family's food supply for the entire year."          

Thanks to modern farming techniques, America's farmers and ranchers are producing more food on fewer acres while leaving more open space for wildlife habitat.  Precision farming practices boost crop yields and overall efficiency by using satellite maps and computers to match seed, fertilizer and crop protection applications to local soil conditions.            

"Food Check-Out Day is a celebration of the bounty from America's farms and ranches and how that bounty is shared with American consumers through affordable food prices," said Carl Loop, president of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation.  "Compared to other expenses facing America's families, food is a bargain.  While Americans must only work until early February to pay for their yearly food supply, while last year’s Tax Freedom Day was April 11, the day we had to work until to pay for their taxes."             

The idea for Food Check-Out Day was developed by the American Farm Bureau Women's Committee and was first observed in 1998 with an event in Chicago   Since then, observances have been held, respectively, in Phoenix, Nashville, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, New Orleans,  and Jacksonville.  This year's event will be held in Orange County, California .          

More than 24 million American workers -- representing 17 percent of the total U.S. workforce -- produce, process, sell and trade the nation's food and fiber.  However, only 4.6 million of those people live on farms, which is slightly less than 2 percent of the total U.S. population.  There are 2.13 million farms dotting America 's rural landscape.

Florida 's 44,000 commercial farmers grow more than 280 different crops.  Florida is the nation's "winter salad bowl," providing 80 percent of the fresh vegetables grown in the United States during January, February and March of each year.  Year round, Florida ranks No. 2 nationally in the U.S. production of fresh vegetables.  Agriculture is Florida 's second-leading industry next to tourism, and has an estimated overall economic impact of more than $62 billion annually.

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the state's largest general interest agricultural association with more than 151,000 member families statewide and Farm Bureaus in 62 counties.  Headquartered in Gainesville, the federation is an independent, non profit agricultural organization.

And, during 2002 in Okeechobee County,  638 farms produced $144 million in agricultural products, and was the #1 Florida county  in the production of beef, dairy and goats; We were also the #3 producer of Florida's forage, #8 in Grapefruit, and # 12 in Vegetables.  All that is the product of 934 farm operators and 1657 other hired farm laborers - about 7% of our county's population!  But let's not forget that much of our local economy plays an active part in supporting and encouraging these producers that supply a grateful state, nation and world. 

I’ve placed more information on Food Check-out Day on our Okeechobee web page,  http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu.  If you need additional information on agriculture or natural resources , please email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu or call us at 863-763-6469.  Local residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners on Tuesday afternoons from 1 to 5 PM on Tuesday afternoons. 

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For more information:

USDA Economic Research Service: The Economics of  Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/CPIFoodAndExpenditures/Data/table7.htm

Food Check-Out Day newspaper public service ad (PDF): http://www.florida-agriculture.com/pubs/pubform/pdf/Food_Checkout_Day_2005.pdf

Food Check-Out Day radio public service announcements: http://www.florida-agriculture.com/food_checkout_day.htm

Overview of Florida 's agriculture industry: http://www.florida-agriculture.com/agfacts.htm  

Economic impact of Florida agriculture: http://www.florida-agriculture.com/economic_impact.htm  

Florida Farm Bureau Federation: http://www.FloridaFarmBureau.org  

Food For Thought ... From Florida 's Farmers: http://www.florida-farmers.com

2002 Okeechobee Agricultural Census data http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/census02/profiles/fl/cp12093.PDF

2002 Okeechobee County Agricultural Profile http://www.nass.usda.gov/fl/cntyprofs/okeechobee.pdf

Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.  Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida.  Larry A.  Arrington, Dean Last update: 01/27/2005 .  This page is maintained by Dan Culbert