About National Agriculture Week
This year, National Ag Week is March 17-23, 2024. National Ag Day is observed on the Tuesday during National Ag Week (March 19). Often referred to as National Ag Week, this annual event is dedicated to increasing the public’s awareness of agriculture’s role in society.
It is an opportunity to celebrate farmers and educate consumers on topics including:
- How milk is produced and the care dairy farmers show their cows every day
- The role dairy farmers play in producing a safe, nutritious, and affordable product
- The importance of dairy farming to maintain a strong economy
- The sustainability practices farmers embrace
- Career opportunities in dairy
2024 Theme
This year’s theme is agriculture: growing a climate for tomorrow.
Why We Need to Tell the Dairy Story
This national event is an opportunity to remind consumers of the important work you do on your farm and in your community. Most consumers are at least two generations removed from agriculture, so National Ag Week is a good time to share personal stories and dairy information. By sharing tangible examples of your work, you can help build trust and sales in dairy.
Farmer Resources for National Ag Week
Sample Social Media Messages
Sustainability
- Dairy farmers are proud stewards of our land, water, and air. 🌱🌊💨 March 19 is National Ag Day – a great time to thank farmers for all they do.
- Dairy farmers are environmental stewards, and we take a proactive approach to sustainability. We continue to embrace new technologies to help us tend to our land and water with care. Producing a gallon of milk has 19% less greenhouse gas emissions than it did in 2007.
- Tell us how you got involved in dairy
- Introduce us to the people you farm or work with
- Show us how your family gets involved in the work of the farm or business
- Share what makes you most proud in your work and what you value most
Cow Care
- While adult cows naturally handle cooler temperatures well, dairy farmers take extra precautions to keep calves who are still growing warm and comfortable during winter. We use calf jackets to help the calves on our farm conserve heat. This allows the calves to use their extra energy to grow strong, rather than keep warm.
- The care we provide for our cows ensures milk produced in the winter is just as delicious and nutrient rich as milk produced during warmer months.
Nutrition & Wellness
- Dairy farmers are committed to getting dairy and its essential nutrients to you and your family. Real milk offers a unique combination of 13 essential nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin D, zinc, and protein that are vital to a healthy immune system.
- After an early morning on the farm, I fuel up with milk knowing it is a simple, easy source of high-quality protein when I need to stay energized for a long day ahead. Whatever your day ahead may look like, you can feel good about choosing milk, yogurt, cheese, or other dairy foods to be the pick-me-up you need.
Dairy Recipes:
- Dairy ✨shines ✨ when added to any meal. From classics like Mac & Cheese to trending butter boards and cottage cheese bowls, dairy can elevate any dish. Find your new favorite recipe: newenglanddairy.com/recipes
Economy:
- VT: Vermont’s dairy industry brings in over $2.2 billion in economic activity every year. From on-farm lodging to a road trip stop at an ice cream shop, dairy has a sizeable impact on our state’s economy.
- CT: Connecticut’s dairy industry employs around 5,000 people. This doesn’t just include farmers, but other professionals who we rely on to support our operations like hoof trimmers, veterinarians, and cow nutritionists.
- MA: Dairy farming injects approximately $45 million to Massachusetts’ local economies. Agritourism is a big deal in our state, and farms like [FARM NAME] welcome visitors throughout the year for [tours, to visit our farm store, community events, etc.]
- NH: Over 5,000 New Hampshire jobs are directly connected to dairy. An additional 7,000 jobs are indirectly supported related to farming like feed stores and milking equipment suppliers.
Hashtag options
#NationalAgWeek (use March 17-23)
#NationalAgDay (use March 19)
#AgDay24 (use on March 19)
Tag New England Dairy
You can tag New England Dairy in your content using @NewEnglandDairy.
Recommendations for Visuals to Accompany Your Messaging
You’ll find various graphics you can share on Facebook and Instagram included in the toolkit folder.
A Note from Our Farmer Relations Team
New England Dairy is here to help you tell your dairy story. Our team can help you write a letter to the editor or op-ed for your local newspaper, or we can support you with other ideas you may have to tell your story. Contact Farmer Relations Manager Elicia Pinsonault at epinsonault@newenglanddairy.com (VT & NH farmers) or Farmer Communications Specialist Steve Peters at speters@newenglanddairy.com (CT, MA & RI farmers) for more information.