Agricultural groups set aside the first day of spring each year as National Agriculture Day, to celebrate the nation’s bountiful food supply and commemorate agriculture’s accomplishments.

One of the most important aspects of the day is the industry’s outreach to non-farmers. For the last two years the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has been one of the partners of the TV series “America’s Heartland.” Broadcast on more than 325 public television stations, the weekly program gives a face to the places, processes and people involved in American agriculture. The program, which is also broadcast on the satellite channel RFD-TV, is sponsored by Monsanto and the American Farm Bureau.

“U.S. farmers provide feed, fuel, fiber, clothing and food for the nation’s consumers, and America’s Heartland is one way of giving the non-farming public a closer look at agriculture,” said NCGA President Ken McCauley.

The magazine-style, half-hour series produced by KVIE television in Sacramento, Calif., featured corn in two episodes this season. Crews followed a Tennessee corn producer during planting in episode three, and the program highlighted an ethanol plant in Wyoming in episode five. Additionally, episode 210 took a look at the Mississippi River as a vital transportation route and its impacts on the livelihoods of producers who live along the river.

“The program provides a medium for corn growers and other producers to explain to the public the importance of agriculture to our country,” explained McCauley. “NCGA is proud to be associated with America’s Heartland for another season.”

For a listing of stations airing the program, click on “Watch the Show” at www.americasheartland.org.