Monday's agriculture website of interest: AG DAY

Today's website of interest is Ag Day. In case you missed it, last week was National Agriculture Week, culminating in National Agriculture Day on March 20. The Ag Day website provides agriculture supporters and enthusiasts resources on how to communicate about their industry to others.

The event was started by the Agriculture Council of America (ACA), an organization uniquely composed of leaders in the agriculture, food and fiber communities dedicated to increasing the public awareness of agriculture's vital role in our society. The Agriculture Council of America and the National Ag Day program was started in 1973. It is a non-profit organization the helps to support and provide education to all interested in Ag Day.

Still wondering how you can bring agriculture to your local community? Read Michelle Payn-Knoper's blog post on the National Ag Week Idea Extravaganza. You'll hear what "agvocates" (such as myself) have done to educate others about where their food comes from.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: ADVOCATES FOR AGRICULTURE

Today's agriculture website of interest to share with readers is maintained by Troy Hadrick, a beef rancher from South Dakota. His blog, "Advocates for Agriculture," chronicles his life as a fifth generation rancher while also explaining to consumers how their food is produced. Take notice, however, Troy's blog is not for the faint of heart. He doesn't pull any punches when explaining the myths surrounding agriculture and certainly takes great pride explaining the issues farming faces. You can also find his videos on You Tube on the Advocates for Ag channel.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: HEIFER INTERNATIONAL

I have talked about this website once before, but in light of the current crisis in Haiti, I thought it might be good to bring this organization to everyone's attention again. Heifer International is a non-profit organization that seeks to help people by providing them with animals to help feed and provide income for their families. Heifer International details their current and future projects to help Haitians here.

Click here to read the previous blog post about Heifer International.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: AGDAY ESSAY CONTEST

While I have featured Ag Day before on the blog, I wanted to bring to everyone's attention an essay contest the organization is sponsoring. The Agriculture Council of America (ACA), sponsor of Ag Day, calls on seventh- to 12th-grade students each year to submit an original, 450-word essay about the importance of agriculture. This year’s theme is “American Agriculture: Abundant, Affordable, Amazing,” and the deadline is Feb. 12. The contest winner will receive $1000 and be flown to Washington, D.C. to receive the award during the "Celebration of Ag" dinner. Information about the contest can be found at the Ag Day essay link.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: AG - IT'S NOT JUST A JOB, IT'S AN ADVENTURE!

For those new to the Cow Art and More blog, we feature an agriculture themed website with our readers every Monday.

Today's agriculture website of interest is the "Ag -It's not just a job, it's an adventure!" blog maintained by Janice Person. Janice was not raised on a farm, but had the opportunity to explore agriculture journalism while in college. She has kept her position within the agriculture industry and blogs about her "new life". The best part of Janice's blog is getting to know the farmers and people she meets as a part of her "everyday adventures."

Monday's agriculture website of interest: HEIFER INTERNATIONAL

Monday's agricultural website focus is on Heifer International, a nonprofit organization based in Arkansas, that alleviates hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation through gifts of food and income producing farm animals and training. These animals provide a source of protein, such as eggs and milk, for children and generate income for families through the sale of animal products. Since 1944, Heifer International has helped over 4 million families in 125 countries become self-reliant. Each family "passes on the gift" by giving one or more of its animal's offspring to another family in need.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS

Today's agriculture website of interest is the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, also known as the FAO. The FAO leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, it acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. The FAO also helps developing countries modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices and ensure good nutrition for all. Since its founding in 1945, the FAO has focused special attention on developing rural areas, home to 70 percent of the world's poor and hungry people.