Feb. 23--Farm and legislative leaders on Monday touted America's safe, affordable food, while highlighting agriculture's importance to the state's economy.
"Few Americans know what it's like to go hungry. And few people in the world spend as little as Americans do on food and fiber," said Rep. Kerry Gibson, R-Ogden, a sixth-generation Utah farmer, who was among many to celebrate Ag Day at the Legislature.
The Utah Farm Bureau recognizes this week as representing the time it takes an average American family to earn enough income to pay the grocery bill for an entire year, said the organization's CEO, Randy Parker.
The actual date varies, however, because USDA figures on how much Americans spend on food are more than a year old.
In Utah, nearly 70,000 jobs, are tied to food and agriculture, said Parker. And with an aggregate gross state product of $100 billion, food production and related industries make up nearly 15 percent of the state's economy.
Nationwide, more than 2 million farmers and ranchers feed 300 million of their fellow citizens while exporting enough food for another half-billion people globally, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
An analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that Americans could spend even less at the grocery store by including more fruits, vegetables and dairy products than what they generally eat.
For many Americans, it is still possible to spend only 11 percent
of a family's disposable income on food, say federal officials.
To stretch food dollars
-- Consider lower-cost store brands.
-- Look high and low -- in-house brands usually are stocked higher or lower on shelves.
-- Comparison shop by considering the cost per unit to find the best deal.
-- Buy in bulk when it makes sense, and don't shop when you're hungry.
-- Leave small children at home, because you'll do less impulse shopping.
-- Stick to your shopping list.
-- Cook from scratch as much as possible.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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