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American Farm Bureau
Foundation for Agriculture 
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PLAY MY AMERICAN FARM
 
Discover cool ways farmers and ranchers are stewards of our natural resources and wildlife by solving tangram puzzles! 
 
 Earth Day talking points
If you have the opportunity to engage someone in a conversation about farming or ranching this Earth Day, here are some talking points, click images for larger pictures.  

 

 

While farm and ranch productivity has increased dramatically since 1950, the use of resources (labor, seeds, feed, fertilizer, etc.) required for production has declined markedly.

 

 

Since 1982, U.S. land used for crops has declined by 70 million acres. Conservation tillage, a way of farming that reduces erosion (soil loss) on cropland while using less energy, has grown from 17 percent of acreage in 1982 to 63 percent currently. 

 

     

 

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About Earth Day

Earth Day is Sunday, April 22 and presents a unique opportunilogoty to engage with the public about America's farmers and ranchers and their role as environmental stewards who care for our nation's land, air and water.

 

The theme for this year's Earth Day is "Mobilize the Earth." According to the Earth Day Network, on this day "People of all nationalities and backgrounds will voice their appreciation for the planet and demand its protection. Together we will stand united for a sustainable future and call upon individuals, organizations, and governments to do their part."

 

More details on Earth Day 2012 are available on the Earth Day Network's website at http://www.earthday.org/.

 

AFBFA Resources
Are you interested in communicating to others about Earth Day and the commitment of farmers and ranchers for environmental stewardship? We have resources available for you!

logo "Agriculture & the Environment" provides activities and lessons teachers can use to discuss food safety, pesticides, pest management, water quality, wetlands and endangered species.




logo "The Man Who Fed the World" explains how Norman Borlaug introduced simple technologies such as corn hybrids and short-strawed, disease-resistant wheat to farmers in developing countries. His work led to substantial yield increases and helped avert a brewing global food crisis.

Click on images to order resources or to view more materials to meet your needs 
Celebrating Earth Day!
In celebration of Earth Day, we're featuring a few ways to help spread the word that farmers and ranchers are environmentalists at heart - they take care of the land that provides food, fiber and fuel for our growing global population.
 
logoFirst, we encourage you to visit and share the  America's Heartland Earth Day webisode highlighting cattle and conservation, carbon emission reduction efforts in "no-till" farming, innovative practices that enable continued sustainable agriculture and applied education to agricultural opportunities.

 

Remember, it takes 100 years to make one inch of soil! If we conserve resources like our farmers and ranchers do every day, everyone benefits from our efforts.

 

Words to Live By
"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." -American Indian Proverb