When was the last time you actually said “thank you” to a farmer or rancher for providing your food, fuel, and fiber? For some of us, that might be as easy as saying a quick “thanks” to a family member across the dinner table, but most people don’t interact with food producers on a day-to-day basis. After all, only 2 percent of Americans are farmers!

I recently discovered a new tool to help us show our gratitude to America’s farmers and ranchers- http://thankfulfor.com . The premise is easy.  Designed to be a “personal gratitude journal,” users can log on to the website and list the things that they are thankful for.  If you designate your updates to be “public,” others can read them. To me, this seems like the perfect opportunity to give thanks for farmers! 

Why not post a few notes sharing why you are thankful for our food producers? Other readers may just learn a thing or two about farming, too. Here are a few reasons why I am personally thankful for farmers and ranchers:

- I’m thankful for steak.  And cheese. And the wide variety of other tasty and nutritious foods that farmers provide.

- I’m thankful that I can walk in to a grocery store and not be greeted with empty shelves but with a wide variety of products that I can choose from to meet my personal needs. 

- I’m thankful for the care and attention that farmers and ranchers provide to their animals. Anyone who has cared for livestock knows that it isn’t easy.

- I’m thankful for the ways that producers continuously adapt to produce more food using fewer resources. No one knows the land like a farmer does.

And just for good measure, here are a few more stats that demonstrate just why I am so thankful for our nation’s food producers.

- In 1940, the average farmer provided enough food for 19 people. Today, that number is 155!

- In America, we spend less than 10 percent of our disposable income on food- we earn enough money to pay for an entire year’s worth of food in just 40 days. Amazing.

-Beef production has increased 80 percent over the last 50 years while reducing cattle numbers by 30 percent. That’s pretty impressive, if you ask me.

- Farmland provides habitat for 75 percent of our nation’s wildlife. As an animal lover, that makes me happy.

I think the discovery of http://thankfulfor.com  is a reminder that social media can be much more far-reaching that just Twitter and Facebook. What other networks can help us share the story of agriculture? I hope that you take this opportunity to share why you are thankful- it takes only a few minutes. You can also share your gratitude on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/thankfulfor. 

So… what are you thankful for?

(Feel free to also post a comment here sharing your gratitude for our farmers and ranchers!)