The Agriculture Council of America has announced the 2010 National Ag Day Essay Contest winner. Her name is Christine Vanek.

ACA called upon seventh- to 12th-grade students nationwide to submit original essays of 450 words about the importance of agriculture in the U.S. Using this year's theme, "American Agriculture - Abundant, Affordable, Amazing," students were encouraged to focus their essays on the importance of agriculture and how the industry continues to overcome new challenges. These include keeping food affordable, meeting the demands of a growing population with fewer acres, working with legislative influences, and addressing consumer concerns.

Vanek, a 12th-grader at Greenhills School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, was named the national winner of the 2010 contest during the National Ag Day event held at the USDA Whitten Building Patio. Vanek read her essay to industry representatives, members of Congress, federal agency representatives, media and others at the Celebration of Agriculture dinner in Washington, D.C. The following is an excerpt from her essay:

"At seventeen, I have come to admire the work my grandfather and all American farmers do. It is thanks to the abundance of American agriculture - from the corn, soybean, and wheat fields of the Great Plains to the expansive fruit orchards in the South - that I, along with the rest of the country, have access to a wide variety of affordable, safe, nutritious foods."