Louisville, KY (February 14, 2013) – Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) leaders across the state are celebrating national “Food Check-Out Week,” February 17-23, to mark the time of year when the average American has earned enough income to meet his or her annual cost of food. Despite recent challenges in the economy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans spend just 10 percent of their disposable income on food each year.

While food prices are not completely exempt from changes in our nation’s economy, the cost of food is not nearly as cumbersome as many other expenses. The average American earns enough to pay for his or her annual food costs by the seventh week of the year, but, according to research conducted by the Tax Foundation, that same person would have to work for 107 days (or until approximately the middle of April) to earn enough to pay for annual taxes.

“Americans work significantly longer to pay for federal taxes than for our food,” noted KFB President Mark Haney. “Food Check-Out Day is a good reminder of the affordability, quantity and quality of the food that our farmers bring to market year-round.”

Now in its 15th year, “Food Check-Out Week” is also designed to keep the nation’s fluctuating economic conditions in mind. Farm Bureau volunteers in Kentucky and across the country prepare supermarket demonstration stations for consumers with the primary goal of helping shoppers increase their knowledge of how to stay on a budget while purchasing healthy food for their families.

“We want to help people in these tough economic times be able to buy lots of good, nutritious food and still stay within budget,” said Terry Gilbert, chair of the American Farm Bureau (AFBF) Women’s Leadership Committee and KFB board member. “While we’re engaging with people and talking about the food they purchase, we’re also talking with them about what we do on our own farms and why we do it. We’re there to honestly answer any questions or concerns they have about what we do to grow fruits and vegetables or raise our livestock.”

“The whole thing is a great way of opening the door to a conversation that puts a face on agriculture,” concluded Gilbert.

Additional information on the history of Food Check-Out Week is available on the AFBF website.