Georgia Food Exhibit Makes Case For Farmers

Georgia food exhibit makes case for farmers AG WORLD Ag World 9-1-19 Farm groups looking for a way to explain agriculture's problems to the public at large may want to take a close look at an exhibit staged by the Georgia Farm Bureau at the recent Sunbelt Agricultural Exhibition. The group started with the fact that the average American family of four spends about $3,697 a year on food and, out of that, farmers receive just 27%, or $998. They set up a king-size, real life display complete with all the food a family would actually consume in one year. Passersby could hardly ignore the huge display of fruits, meats, eggs, milk, bread, canned goods and all the other miscellaneous items people depend on. Once drawn into the exhibit, they'd see a sign that simply gave the value of the food and the value received by the farmer. No preaching and no lectures. "It makes the point in a way that words never can," says Bob Marlow of the Georgia Farm Bureau, noting that to set up the exhibit the group had the support of a large chain of supermarkets. "They provided all the perishables and canned goods. The milk cartons, egg cartons, meat and some of the other items were empty and we'll simply save them for the next time we use the exhibit. Fruits, vegetables and bread are either thrown away or sold." Marlow says the original idea for the display came from an advertisement developed several years ago by DuPont Chemical Company. The Georgia Farm Bureau will provide a list of foods needed for the display to any farm group. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mrs. Louise Hill, Georgia Farm Bureau, P.O. Box 7068, Macon, Ga. 31298 (ph 912 474-8411).

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