Celebrate National Agriculture Week with NMDA

Celebrate National Agriculture Week with NMDA For Immediate Release: Contact: Shelby Herrera 575-646-3007 office (LAS CRUCES, N.M.) – In celebration of National Agriculture Week, March 20-24, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture is inviting all New Mexico residents to celebrate with them. On March 21, National Agriculture Day will be celebrated across America for the 44th year. Here in New Mexico, New Mexico Department of Agriculture is asking you to celebrate with us for the whole week as we see how New Mexico’s agriculture is spreading from “Local to Global.” We want to recognize the important contributions farmers and ranchers make to our dinner plates and communities all over the world. It's a time to celebrate the abundance that agriculture provides for us, 365 days a year. “New Mexico agriculture not only provides for our local communities, we now reach over 44 countries who enjoy New Mexico products every day,” Jeff Witte, the New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture, said. “We truly have much to celebrate,” he added. AgriCulture in our state is as diverse as our people. Our rich agricultural history began with corn, which was harvested in New Mexico by 4000 B.C. Squash and beans were being harvested by 3000 B.C. Today, the agricultural industry in New Mexico has put our state on the map, globally! New Mexico food products are used by several national fast food chains. Our state also ranks ninth in total milk production and fourth in total cheese production, nationally. During the celebration of Ag Day/Week we hope to tell the story of American agriculture and remind citizens that agriculture is still a part of ALL of us. This is very evident in New Mexico, with 98% of our state’s farms and ranches being family owned, many handed down through multiple generations. Join New Mexico Department of Agriculture as we tell our story through photos, facts and stories shared through our social media sites, and by sharing your agricultural experiences using #LocaltoGlobal and #NMAgWeek. Follow along with us throughout the week by following us on Twitter at NMDeptAg and like our Facebook by searching NMDepartmentofAg. To celebrate this week, New Mexico Department of Agriculture encourages every New Mexican and American to: • Enjoy locally grown products. • Visit a farmers market in your community. • Understand how our food and fiber products are produced. • Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products for each of us. • Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy. • Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and fiber industry. Most importantly, THANK our local producers for their contributions to our tables and local communities. So fill your glass with some of the highest-quality milk produced in the nation, and if you’re of age, raise a glass of New Mexico’s award-winning wine or beer in a toast to the people who produce the things we love to eat and drink.