The Newton County Farm Bureau is set to observe National Farm-City Week from Nov. 19 through Nov. 25 with an agricultural art contest for fifth graders.

The 55th annual event celebrates the cooperative relationship between farmers and the people who help process, market and retail the food farmers grow.

"Agriculture has always been important for the obvious reasons of providing food, clothing and shelter, but agriculture affects everyone’s life in so many other ways by creating jobs, providing habitat for wildlife and protecting green space," said Brent Galloway, Newton County Farm Bureau president, in a release. "Without farmers, Georgia can’t grow — its food or economically."

Food and fiber production and related businesses represent the largest or second largest segment of all goods and services produced in two-thirds of Georgia’s counties, according to the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development.

"Georgia’s food and fiber industry includes more than just the farmers who grow our food and fiber. It also includes businesses that process, distribute and sell the food, paper and clothing products made from the commodities grown on the farm," said Galloway.

Food and fiber production generated a total economic impact of $65 billion for Georgia and created more than 351,000 jobs in 2008.

On average, Americans spend just 10 percent of their disposable income on food, according to the USDA Economic Research Service. In comparison, French consumers spend 15 percent of their disposable income on food while Chinese consumers spend 26 percent, and Indonesian consumers spend 51 percent of their disposable income on food.

Farmers receive only 19 cents out of every dollar spent on food at home and away from home. The rest of the food cost covers wages and materials for food processing, marketing, transportation and distribution. In 1980, farmers received 31 cents of every dollar spent on food.

Kiwanis International began National Farm-City Week in 1955 to increase the understanding of the partnership between urban and rural residents.