Farmers And Ranchers Feed Us All

Did you eat today? Unless you raise all your own food, thank farmers and ranchers!  (If you are a farmer or rancher, here’s a huge “Thank you!!” to you.) Those are the men and women who grow the food we eat, who raise the cattle and other animals that give us milk and meat, the poultry that give us eggs and meat. About the only thing they don’t raise is fish. (I’ll admit I’ve heard of fish farms, but I won’t be talking about those here.) Even if you’re a vegetarian, it’s still farmers who grow the crops you eat.

Where ever you buy your food – a grocery store, a co-op, a farmers’ market or someplace like Target or Wal-Mart, a farmer or rancher had a hand in it. They work all day, every day to keep the rest of us fed. It doesn’t matter what the weather is like. They are among the hardest working people you will ever know. Some farms and ranches stay in the family for generations.

The Petersons run a family farm in Kansas. The three sons have a created a number of farming videos, including parodies of popular songs. Here’s a link to the Peterson Farm Bros Youtube videos:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePetersonFarmBros They’re proud of being farmers and feeding us.

Up until just before my second birthday, I was a North Dakota farmer’s daughter. One of my cousins (technically, she’s my dad’s cousin, but she’s the same age as one of my older brothers) moved from being a farmer’s daughter to being a farmer’s wife. Having lived in the city most of my life, I’m not sure I could go back to farm life, but I am grateful for those who do live that life. Farming is everybody’s bread and butter.

Farmers and ranchers have to deal with difficult circumstances on a regular basis. A drought can cause ranchers to be unable to feed their herds, farmers to be unable to provide water for their crops. A cold snap in citrus fruit growing states can cause the loss of crops. Weather extremes cause major problems – even disasters - for the people who grow food or raise livestock. Every farm or ranch that fails affects more than just the rancher or farmer. It affects all of us. Fewer ranches and farms = less food being produced. Less food being produced = not enough food to go around.

Farmers and ranchers work no matter what the weather is like. Whether it’s a -50 wind chill, a blizzard, 100 degrees in the shade, farmers and ranchers know they have work to do. They go out and do it, no matter what. The post office says nothing will keep their couriers from their appointed rounds, but that’s even more true for farmers and ranchers. Weather that may keep postal workers from delivering the mail doesn’t keep farmers and ranchers from their work. There are no snow days for farmers and ranchers.

Next time you enjoy a meal – whether you made it yourself or you’re enjoying someone else’s cooking – remember - and be grateful for and to - the farmers and ranchers who raised the food you’re eating.