Don’t Overlook Ag’s Economic Footprint

As more people are one, two or three generations off the farm, fewer people can share fond memories of visiting or working on their grandparent’s farm. This migration away from farming unfortunately leads to a loss of recognition of how important agriculture is to society and its economic importance to the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service reports that agriculture and its related industries provide about 10 percent of U.S. employment. In 2014, 17.3 million full- and part-time jobs were related to agriculture, which is 9.3 percent of total U.S. employment. Direct on-farm employment provided over… Read More »