Just a little reminder if it is still needed. Along those lines, did you know agriculture plays a crucial role in getting the roses, chocolates and elegant dinners ready for you and your Valentine? When you treat your beloved to candy, flowers or dinner out, you are not only sending a message of caring to your sweetheart, but also to farmers. Consider — the box of chocolates you buy is a farm product using ingredients of sweeteners, milk, nuts, fruits and other farm commodities. It is estimated 40 percent of the world’s almonds and 20 percent of the world’s peanuts are used in creating candy for Valentine’s Day alone. You, and approximately 35 million other cupids, will purchase heart- shaped boxes of candy. What a bunch of nuts. Well, you know what I mean — peanuts and almonds. Agriculture’s input to Valentine’s Day does not end at the candy counter. Where you purchase a dozen roses for your honey, or you keep from going too far into the red by claiming the single rose you bought better conveys love, roses are raised by farmers. Over 100 million red roses are sold for Valentine’s Day with a wholesale value of $18 million. The thorn with the rose is you will pay retail.

Whether you support your declaration of love with candy, flowers, wine or a nice dinner, you are also supporting farmers and the much larger number of people employed by agriculture.

All the ingredients used to generate the candies and multi-course dinners served on Valentine’s Day originate on farms and help keep farmers in business, but consider the number of people employed in the value-added production of foods and desserts using these farm commodities.

Then consider the number of additional people employed in the wholesale and retail distribution and sale of these products — the truck drivers, storage and warehouse workers, supermarket and store employees, waiters, dishwashers — yes, agriculture is passionate about Valentine’s Day.