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Houston Livestock Show to host Ag Awareness Day to honor farmers and ranchers

published: February 19th 2010

Realizing that Ameri-can farmers and ranchers are now feeding a consumer that is generations away from the farm, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is hosting an Agricultural Awareness Day that will spotlight the importance of the agriculture industry in everyone’s daily lives.
    Under the direction of the HSLR Tours Committee, Agricultural Awareness Day is set for Tuesday March 9th and at press time over 750 4-H and FFA members, along with youth that represent the HSLR Junior Rodeo Committee from across Texas have registered to be at the event.
    The day is designed to promote agriculture, provide 4-H and FFA members with information and knowledge about how to make the consumer aware of where their food comes from, the safety of our food supply and how efficient the agricultural industry is today. For every one farm-er or rancher in today’s production agriculture, 155 people are provided with food from the world’s safest food supply.
    There will be exhibits from Texas 4-H, Texas FFA, Texas Beef Council, Texas Farm Bureau, Texas Department of Agricul-ture, Texas AgriLife Ex-tension Service and the HSLR Jr. Rodeo Commit-tee.
    “Capping the day will be a town hall meeting, held in the AstroArena main show ring at 3:30 p.m. The featured speaker will be Trent Loos, who will talk on ‘Connecting  Rural and Urban America by Sharing the Positive Story of Production Agricul-ture,’” according to Julie Bacon, HSLR manager of attractions.
    Loos has nationally syndicated radio programs that attract over 4 million listeners and is carried on over 100 stations, weekly. He also has a weekly tv program and is a familiar speaker across many ag and non-ag circles. He especially enjoys talking with today’s youth and encouraging them concerning their involvement in today’s food production system.
    Some of his main themes, include the importance of food as a national security measure and he addresses many issues facing United States animal agriculture.
    In addition to Loos, state 4-H and FFA officers will be on the program and there will be a Q and A session following the town hall forum.
    The forum will be staged in the AstroArena so that the general public can attend and hear Loos talk, and provide them a way to learn about their food supply.
    There will be door prize drawings for the youth registered for the Ag Awareness Day program and for more information go to www.rodeohouston.com and find Agricultural Awareness Day.