National Farm Workers Day

National Farm Workers Day is a day to celebrate and be grateful for all the hard work that farmers do to keep fresh food coming. Vegetables, meat, herbs – the staples of your grocery bag all started out on a farm.

It’s sometimes hard for us to remember how lucky we are to have access to fresh produce, and we are somewhat disconnected from the roots – literally – of our food when we see it all packaged up in the supermarkets. On National Farm Workers Day, we are reminded to thank farmers for making it all possible.

Farm workers are often on the farm from sunrise to sunset – so it’s no wonder that they have a day for them!

How to Celebrate National Farm Workers Day

Show Support for Local Farmers

Supporting farmers and farm workers is a great way to observe this day – you could choose to fundraise for some of the few farming charities or donate to them yourself.

Enjoy a Visit to a Working Farm

You could also make plans to visit a farm on this important day! Especially in the UK, many farms have a shop and sometimes a cafe attached to them where you can have a coffee and buy some fresh produce straight from the farm. Other farms might invite visitors to a petting zoo on certain days, or even attending classes with animals, like goat yoga!

Enjoy a Farm-to-Table Restaurant

More of these types of eateries are popping up, sourcing their foods from local growers. This not only supports local farmers in the community, but it also means less transportation which causes less of a harmful impact on the environment.

Pick Up Some Farm Fresh Foods

This is also a great day to drop by a local farmers market in support of local growers and farmers. Or stop by the local grocery store to grab some vegetables. Be sure that you are mindful of the work that has gone into growing your food!

History of National Farm Workers Day

Farming and agriculture have been a huge part of keeping humanity thriving since we were intelligent enough to cultivate food. In fact, the act of farming has been traced back to way back in the Neolithic era.

As far as we know, the first society to actively engage in farming on a larger scale was the Sumerians, who had a labor force specializing in farming. They also constructed irrigation methods to grow their crops and had a strict harvesting pattern across the year.

Farm workers are those in the fields, picking crops and looking after animals. With the advances in technology, specifically in farming, in the last century or so farm workers have found their work becoming even more specialized.

When we talk about a farmworker, this can have quite a broad meaning. It could mean someone hired by a farm to take part in any activities on the farm, but it can also mean someone who is hired solely to be involved in the production – such as harvesting.

Working outside for long periods in all kinds of climates, and the bending and crouching needed for harvesting – not to mention the dangers of using farm machinery and being around some big and easily riled animals – can be very tough on farmworkers. National Farm Workers Day is about thanking farmworkers for their hard work.