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.