Calgary, Alberta, June 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mark your calendar for Farmer’s Day this Friday, June 11, 2021 as United Farmer’s of Alberta Co-operative (“UFA”) recognizes farmers and ranchers whose work doesn’t stop, even for a pandemic.
The 112-year-old Co-operative has a deep history celebrating Farmer’s Day, dating back to a 1945 convention resolution where UFA declared a fixed date to observe “Farmer’s Day” to recognize the importance of Alberta’s agriculture industry. Farmer’s Day is celebrated each year on the second Friday of June. For many years, Farmer’s Day was a provincial holiday, kids had the day off school and families could spend quality time together following the busy seeding and calving seasons.
“Celebrating Alberta’s agriculture industry and the work our members and customers do is especially important this year,” said Scott Bolton, UFA President and CEO. “During the pandemic agriculture was declared an essential service, there were no days off for our members and customers, and our Co-operative was proud to continue to provide the products and services they needed to keep nutritious food on grocery shelves. In the future, as we begin to open the economy, the agri-food and agri-product industries will continue to be essential and will be key in our province’s economic recovery.”
UFA won’t be the only ones celebrating. Elected officials from federal, provincial and municipal governments will be recognizing Farmer’s Day through statements of support in the Alberta Legislature, to lighting up urban landmarks like the Calgary Tower and the High Level Bridge in orange and green, to Mayoral proclamations and letters of recognition. From farm to fork, the impact of the agri-food industry is felt in rural and urban communities alike, and UFA is thankful for the support from all partners.
“We work throughout the year to improve the economic and social well-being of our members and customers by providing an active voice on behalf of farmers on many fronts through advocacy, partnerships, awareness and education,” says Bolton. “We also work to build vibrant rural communities by supporting grassroots initiatives through a robust community investment program. It is important for our Co-operative to provide support where it is needed most, and this past year was no exception.”
UFA will have special offers in its June flyer, allowing members and customers more time to take advantage of the deals, when it’s convenient for them. UFA is asking Albertans to capture the power and potential of Alberta’s agriculture industry on social media and to share their images and messages by including the hashtag #FarmersDay and tagging @ufacooperative.
Check www.UFA.com/FarmersDay for more details on Farmers Day 2021 as we get closer to June 11!