Do you follow the Connecticut State Grange on Facebook and other social media?  Maybe you should!  The following are some of the interesting Ag Facts our Public Relations Department sends out daily on Facebook:

A hive of bees flies over 55,000 miles to bring you one pound of honey. A honey bee can fly 15 miles per hour. Honey bees visit 50-100 flowers during one honey collecting trip.

Archeologists have found evidence that humans have enjoyed eating apples since 6500 B.C. Each of us eats more than 19 pounds of apples annually.

Dairy cows drink 35 gallons of water a day – the equivalent of a bathtub of water. Dairy cows weigh about 1,400 pounds.

Each cow eats 20 to 25 pounds of grain, 40 to 60 pounds of ensilage, 30 pounds of hay and drinks about 15 to 25 gallons of water a day.

It takes just 40 days for most Americans to earn enough money to pay for their food supply for the entire year. In comparison with the 129 days it takes the average American to earn enough money to pay federal, state and local taxes for the year.

Cultivators are the most valuable citizens…they are tied to their country” - President Thomas Jefferson.”

It takes 24 to 26 hours for a hen to produce an egg; there is 30 minutes between each egg-producing cycle. The egg shell may have as many as 17,000 tiny pores over its surface. Through them, the egg can absorb flavors and odors. Storing them in their cartons helps keep them fresh! 

Today’s farmers produce 262 percent more food with 2 percent fewer inputs (labor, seeds, feed, fertilizer, etc.), compared with 1950. (Source: American Farm Bureau)

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing depends on farmers to produce paper currency-75% of every bill is made of cotton. (Source: USDA.gov)

Agricultural land provides habitat for 75 percent of the nation’s wildlife. Deer, moose, waterfowl and other species have shown significant population increases during the past several years. (Source: NCSU.edu)

Every U.S. pear is picked by hand. The United States is the 3rd largest producer of pears in the world, with the top producing states being Oregon and Washington. Pears are one of the few fruits that don’t ripen on the tree. They are picked when they are fully mature, but not yet ripe. Do not refrigerate an unripe pear – they are meant to ripen at room temperature. (Source: FarmFlavor.com) 

Soybeans are an important ingredient for the production of crayons. In fact, one acre of soybeans can produce 82,368 crayons.