The American Farm Bureau Federation says it’ll take 37 days this year for Americans to work to pay for the year’s worth of food. Last year, it was 39 days. Iowa Farm Bureau spokeswoman Barb Lykins says Food Check-out Day is coming a bit earlier this year, thanks in part to Iowa farmers and ranchers. She says American consumers spend about 10 percent of their disposable income on food. Lykins, who is leadership director of the Iowa Farm Bureau, says they chart Food Check-out Day to educate the country about how affordable the U-S food supply really is. Lykins says the Farm Bureau will be holding a variety of events at grocery stores next month to raise awareness for the day.Lykins says Food Check-out Day was started years ago after much publicity about Tax Freedom Day, the date on which we all have to work to be able to pay all of our taxes for the year, which is usually in April or May. Lykins says Food Check-out Day is a salute to all Iowans who till the soil and raise animals. She says American farmers and ranchers are the most productive in the world and the day helps highlight that success.Food Check-out Day falls on February 6th this year. Last year, it was on February 8th.