Agriculture is a tough business that most don’t understand, nor care about, as long as the grocery stores have food on the shelves. It seems we are the lowest on the priority list and barely a thought in the minds of people. Folks forget that agriculture is the foundation of all health, wealth, and happiness because it encompasses everything in our daily lives.
Most Americans have become complacent, and politicians have forgotten us—often picking on us. We don’t generally ask for help, and we are a proud and fiercely independent people, just doing what we love… trying to scratch a living outta the dirt.
We roll with the punches and keep going… but it wears on a guy. I have been farming for 35 years, and I’m getting tired. Corporate greed tells us what we will be paid, and politicians impose regulations telling us how we will farm. Like I said… it wears us down.
Ecclesiastes 5:9
“Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.”
Farmers and ranchers make up less than 2% of the population, and the average age is 58 years old and climbing.
Agriculture has the highest rate of suicide, yet nothing is done to help improve our economy to lower our stress levels.
Recently, we have been in a drought, and many call it climate change. Many of the old-timers I remember talking with just called it a cycle.
They told me stories of periods of droughts followed by rain. It’s been that way since time began. Recently, my friends who ranch have decided to sell most of their stock because of the drought along with other factors… I lift them up in prayer.
It’s sad that people complain when they have so many food choices, and their bellies are full. People fear GMOs and all the additives we use that have prevented food shortages and kept the shelf selection plentiful, while our farmland has shrunk drastically in the last 100 years. We have increased our productivity drastically, and as a result, have prevented food shortages while still maintaining ample supply for export. Yet last year was the first year in American history that more food was imported than domestically sourced. That is heartbreaking when we can grow and provide so much, given the chance. Again, it boils down to corporate greed—profits over people.
What will happen when American agriculture is gone? Will we be dependent on foreign food without the food safety standards we provide? Food security and independence are tremendously important.
As they say, “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.”
Funny how people with full bellies have so many problems. But starving people only have one problem.
