Governor
Leavitt Declares March 15 - 21 as Utah Agriculture Week
As part of a statewide
effort to increase consumer education and awareness of the importance
of agriculture in Utah, Governor Mike Leavitt has proclaimed March 15
- 21, 1998 as Agriculture Week in Utah. Click here
to view a PDF file of the official proclamation.
"This is the time
of year that I urge all our citizens to recognize the contributions Utah's
farmers and ranchers make by producing the best, safest and lowest cost
food in the world," Leavitt stated in a written proclamation.
This year's Agriculture
Week theme, "Growing Tomorrow," underscores the importance of Utah agriculture
in supplying the state and nation with an abundance of food and agricultural
products.
Highlights of Utah's
role in agriculture:
- Utah's agriculture
industry ranks in the top 10 states in the nation in the production
of tart and sweet cherries, pears, mink pelts, sheep, trout, barley,
and spring wheat.
- The Utah Senate
the Utah House of Representatives and Governor Leavitt declared 1998
to be the Year of the Farmer.
- Less that two percent
of the population is actively involved in food and fiber production,
yet produce most of the nutritional and clothing needs for the other
98 percent of our society.
Various activities
are planned for Ag Week in Utah, such as:
- Backman Elementary
School students will "chat" with the Commissioner of Agriculture and
Food, Cary G. Peterson on Friday, March 20, which is National Agriculture
Day across the U.S. The chat session begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs until
noon.
- Elementary school
students throughout Utah can also e-mail agriculture related questions
or comments to the Commissioner during the week. Commissioner Peterson's
e-mail address is: agmain.cpeterso@state.ut.us.
- A nine-month long
radio promotion campaign honoring Utah farmers and ranchers gets underway
this week. Every radio station in Utah received radio announcements
asking Utah residents to consider the contributions farmers and ranchers
make to their lives.
- Utah's Agriculture
In The Classroom program is also promoting agriculture in the state's
462 elementary schools that week. Students will learn that there is
more than food that comes from the farm. The schools' media centers
received pop-up coloring sheets and puzzles to distribute to students.
Posted
March 16, 1998
