Did you ever stop to think where the cotton used to make your favorite pair of bluejeans came from?

What about the peanut butter you used to make that peanut butter and jelly sandwich for your afternoon snack? Can't resist ordering a chicken sandwich when you drive through your favorite fast-food restaurant? Chances are you have a Georgia farmer to thank for growing the cotton that made your jeans, the peanut butter and the chicken you enjoy.

In recognition of the contributions that farmers make to the economy, the South Fulton County Farm Bureau will celebrate National Agriculture Day March 20. National Agriculture Week will be observed March 18-24.

"Georgia farmers work hard 365 days a year to produce ag products that help feed and clothe the world," Wayne Stradling, South Fulton County Farm Bureau president, said. "Unfortunately, more stringent regulations, record low commodity prices and adverse weather conditions are making the farmer an endangered species."

Georgia has approximately 50,000 farms 2,200 of them in South Fulton and 11.2 million acres of farmland. While the number of farms in Georgia has risen slightly since 1992, farm acreage has declined from 12.1 million in 1992. The average farm size in Georgia is 224 acres. Ten percent of the farmers in Georgia are female and 3 percent are black. The average age of Georgia farmers is 55.9 years.

Based on 1999 statistics collected by the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service, Georgia ranks first in the nation in production of broiler chickens, peanuts and pecans. The state ranks second in the nation for cotton acreage. Our farmers rank first in the nation for value of production of rye and eggs.

Not only do Georgia farmers produce the raw materials for our food and clothes, but they also provide the raw materials for hundreds of products that aren't often associated with agriculture such as toothpaste, shampoo, crayons, desks, baseball bats, pharmaceuticals, film, paper, paints, lumber and fuel. More than 100 medicines used by humans come from cattle.

Do you like to drink soda? One bushel of corn will sweeten more than 400 cans of cola.

Agriculture plays a major role in Georgia's economy, contributing more that $57 billion, or 16 percent, to the state's $350 billion annual economic output. Agriculture provides jobs for one in every six Georgians.

Agriculture economically affects consumers across the country, perhaps most directly when they buy groceries. Americans spend the smallest portion of their income on food than any country in the world. It takes the average American only 38 days to earn enough money to pay for food for an entire year.

The latest statistics provided by the United States Department of Agriculture show that the average American spends only about 10.4 percent of disposable income on food. Compare that to Japan where the average is 21 percent, Italy 26 percent, Greece 42 percent and China's whopping 53 percent.

Farmers also are constantly improving their production practices to reduce wind, water and soil erosion. Agriculture land provides food and habitat for 75 percent of the nation's wildlife.

The South Fulton County Farm Bureau was established in 1988. It currently has about 2,200 members and is affiliated with the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation headquartered in Macon, Ga. Founded in 1937, Georgia Farm Bureau is the state's largest general farm organization with more that 325,000 member families statewide.