By: Rod Bednarcyczk

Pictures. An amazing way to look back and remember the past. I have two that I just love and thought I would share them with you.

The first is a picture that my grandpa was very proud of. A random person stopped one day while he was working the field behind his house and took this picture. It ended up on the cover of a newspaper.

The second is the next three generations on the farm that my grandpa started. My dad my brother my son and I were just doing a job that we would normally never get noticed for. But my wife thought it would make a great picture. She was right. My son later got this one published in a newspaper as well.

These two pictures really show what it is that farming is all about. They show what gets me up in the morning. They show why we keep going when the price of our crops is not enough to justify our work (like they were this year). Pride and tradition are powerful motivation.

These two pictures also show why farmers are passionate about the story of agriculture being accurate. I know I probably just annoy most of my friends by constantly talking about my crops, and why GMOs are better, and all of the other misinformation surrounding agriculture. But I do it because I am proud of what I do. And I am proud to carry on my family’s heritage as farmers.

My son and daughter will be the fourth generation here. And I am absolutely certain that they too will have to make decisions that those who aren’t involved in agriculture won’t agree with. But I am also certain that when they make those decisions they will have all of the information necessary to make the right choices. This isn’t just a job. It’s a lifestyle, and one that we are very proud of.

Thanks for reading.

By: Rod Bednarcyczk
Creator of Mr Farmers Neighborhood