Farms.com Home › Ag Industry News

Celebrating farmers on National Farmers Day

Oct 12, 2017

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Messages of gratitude are being posted on social media

By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com

Farmers are in the spotlight during National Farmer’s Day celebrations.

Oct. 12 is recognized as National Farmer’s Day, according to the National Day Calendar.

October is chosen as the time to celebrate farmers as they complete harvest.

Many are reminded today, and every day, about the importance of farmers and lessons they can teach.

“From very early American culture, a farmer’s endless hard work has been an example to all of us and today we thank them for their contributions to our economy,” The University of Arizona said in a release today.

There were about 3 million farmers cultivating 2.06 million farms, spread out over 911 million acres in 2016, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

U.S. farmers are also drivers of the economy and employment.

American agriculture contributed $992 billion to the country’s GDP in 2015, accounting for almost 6 percent of the total GDP, according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS).

And about 21 million jobs, or 11 percent of total U.S. employment, could be traced back to agriculture in 2015, according to the ERS.

Many have also taken to social media to post photos and messages of appreciation for farmers.

Use the hashtags #NationalFarmersDay or #ThankAFarmer to follow National Farmer’s Day activity online.

Video: Agriculture Secretary Rollins Speaks at American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Anaheim

One of the highlights at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Anaheim, California, was an address by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. During her remarks, she thanked America’s farmers and ranchers and said the Trump Administration is fully aware that food security is national security.

She also acknowledged the challenging times in Farm Country with low commodity prices and high input costs and said that’s why the President stepped in to help with the recent Bridge Assistance Program.

Montana Farm Bureau Federation Executive Vice President Scott Kulbeck says that Farm Bureau members are appreciative of the help and looks forward to working with the American Farm Bureau Federation and its presence in Washington, DC to keep farmers and ranchers in business.

Secretary Rollins said the Trump Administration is also committed to helping ranchers build back America’s cattle herd while also providing more high-quality U.S. beef at the meat case for consumers.

And she also announced more assistance for specialty crop producers who only received a fraction of the $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA).

It’s important to note that producers who qualify for Farmer Bridge Assistance can expect the Farm Service Agency to start issuing payments in late February. For more information, farmers and ranchers are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center.