As families gather around the table this Thanksgiving, we’re reminded that every meal begins with the incredible people who keep our country fed, fueled, and clothed: America’s farm and ranch families. From the field to the dinner table, and the many steps in between, these hardworking men and women make it possible for us to share abundance, tradition, and gratitude from sea to shining sea.
For these families, farming and ranching are more than a job—they’re a way of life. Through unpredictable weather, rising costs, and shifting markets, America’s farmers continue to show the resilience and innovation that keep our food supply strong and secure.
The current state of the farm economy remains dire as high input costs and low commodity prices place a strain on producers’ finances. This Thanksgiving, as lawmakers and the Administration consider the path forward for emergency assistance for producers to bridge them to the next crop year, we want to take a moment to thank the hardworking men and women who make days like Thanksgiving possible.
From the Farm to Your Table
Everything at the Thanksgiving table has a story, from the food we share to the linens beneath it. Each of these stories starts on an American farm.
- 46 million turkeys are raised for Thanksgiving each year.
- America’s sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers grow roughly nine million tons of sugar each year, meeting about 75 percent of America’s demand for real sugar and providing the sweetness behind every pie, cranberry sauce, and holiday dessert.
- Corn growers plant more than 90 million acres each year, supplying feed for livestock, renewable fuel, and ingredients for many Thanksgiving favorites.
- Rice farmers grow nearly 2.82 million acres each year and supply generations of families with a key holiday side dish on tables across America.
- North Carolina alone grows about 70 percent of the nation’s sweet potatoes.
- Cotton farmers produce about 13 million bales annually, supplying the fibers behind table linens, napkins, and clothes that make the day feel special.
- U.S. farmers harvest nearly one billion pounds of pumpkins every fall.
- U.S. potato growers produce roughly 20 billion pounds annually – plenty for mashed potatoes on every Thanksgiving plate. (And seconds!)
- The average U.S. wheat farm produces enough grain each year to bake around two million loaves of bread, including the dinner rolls on your table.
Five Reasons We’re Thankful for America’s Farmers
- For feeding and clothing our nation and the world. Every meal starts with the hard work of farmers and ranchers who provide us with the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply in the world.
- For strengthening communities. Rural America thrives when our farm and ranch families do.
- For protecting the land. Conservation and sustainability practices ensure agriculture remains strong for generations to come.
- For adapting and innovating. From precision technology to new conservation tools, farmers continue to lead through innovation.
- For reminding us of what hard work really means. Farming isn’t easy, but it’s essential, and America’s hardworking farm and ranch families deserve our gratitude for their tireless work!
This Thanksgiving—and every day—we’re grateful for America’s farm and ranch families, and the smart farm policies that help them provide us with the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply in the world.
This Thanksgiving, make sure you take a moment to #ThankAFarmer.
What are you thankful for?
Need a Farm Bill refresher? Find a high-level, title-by-title history and overview of this crucial piece of legislation that impacts every American, from the field to the dinner plate, here. Plus, learn about agricultural policy straight from America’s heartland on the Groundwork podcast.