Help Us Celebrate #AgDay2016

 Today we celebrate National Ag Day 2016. For some the day will pass like any other, without much awareness or significance. However, I hope to break that trend, if only for those who are reading this post.

There will likely be no parades or celebrations in their honor, nor would they ask for one. However, there will be families nationwide, and all over the world, with food on their tables. For that, our farmers and ranchers deserve our deepest gratitude.

The job of an American farmer or rancher is far from easy. With each day, those in agriculture face the same challenges as the rest of the economy and then some. Advancements in technology, while providing long term benefits, are challenging to learn and adapt to. Despite these advancements, farmers and ranchers still belong to one of the most dangerous professions in the United States, even more dangerous than those working in construction or on power lines.

Farmers and ranchers purchase seed and input at retail and sell the finished product at wholesale. Markets are highly volatile and weather can dictate both quantity and quality of the year’s harvest. Yet the producers of this nation put their blood, sweat, and tears into what they do. It truly is a profession of passion. It is the joy of watching the newborn calf as it is cleaned by its mother, and dealing with the loss when the next calf doesn’t make it. It’s the gratification of watching the sunrise over the year’s bountiful harvest, and overcoming the summer hail that totals the field.

As the world’s population rises at a rapid rate, we depend on the success of our farmers and ranchers to put the food on our tables each day. So I ask you to take special notice of National Ag Day 2016. Send a prayer, say a thank you, share a meal, or whatever you are so inclined to do to show your appreciation for those feeding our families. Feel free to engage us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram and tell us how you are celebrating #agday2016

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