I read a blog post not too long ago that really made me think. Not just the type of thinking where you sit for a few seconds and say, "well that was interesting." No, this was something more than that. The post made me question what I had been doing on social media to promote agriculture and really reflect on the message I was sending. The person who wrote this post was Jenny Dewey.
Jenny Dewey is a pretty inspiring person, if you haven't checked out her blog yet, you need to head over to j.l.d. photograph and do so. Seriously. Do it now.
Ok now that you're back and you've seen first hand all of the amazing photos she's taken and the awesome blog posts she's written you can understand why she's inspiring, absolutely adorable, and a mover and a shaker when it comes to agvocacy. Jenny wrote a post back in March titled, "How do you Celebrate National Agriculture Day....?" Her post really made me think. The type of thinking that makes you stop everything you're doing and assess the situation. Her post was published on Ag Day when a majority of the ag community was sharing posts of why everyone should be thanking a farmer. Jenny did something that went against the grain on Ag Day. She questioned why we were telling people to "thank a farmer." Yes, farmers and ranchers work hard to produce the food that feeds the world, but a lot of other people work very hard at their jobs everyday and they aren't out there on social media asking for thanks. So why were people in agriculture doing this?
I don't know the reasoning behind why the hashtag #thankafarmer started, but I'm sure the intent behind it wasn't to tell a group of people what to do. I think it was started to bring attention to where food comes from and all the work that goes into getting it to our tables. I'll be the first to admit that I'm guilty of using the hashtag, #thankafarmer. I never really questioned why I chose to use it. In my mind I was highlighting the work being done to produce a crop and the struggles that go along with that. I was never actually intentionally seeking out thanks and praise for what we do in production agriculture. If you've ever met a farmer, you know they aren't out there actively seeking recognition and praise for what they do. The motto is usually, "work hard and stay humble."
So you may be wondering why I'm discussing this topic on the blog today. Well it's because I saw a video last night that brought all of the above points back to the forefront of my brain. The country singer and Kansas native, James Wesley, has a song out titled, "Thank a Farmer." While watching the video I swelled up with pride and I was humbled by the fact this country artist chose to write and release a song dedicated to farmers.
I don't think anyone would argue with the fact that they like to receive thanks and recognition for all of their hard work. It's awesome when someone comes up to Adam or I and offers their thanks and praise, especially after we've been able to teach someone about our operation and about the things we do on a daily basis. However, when someone has to ask for the thanks, then this is when the appreciation loses its value. Farming is our life and our career. We chose this life because we love it and we can't imagine doing anything else. Yes, being involved in production agriculture is difficult, challenging, and a lot of hard work, but we feel strongly that there are many other careers out there where thanks and appreciation should be offered before thanking a farmer.
So today I'm proposing that we all take a little time to thank all of the people who are involved in offering us the goods, services, and freedoms we get to enjoy on a daily basis. Thank a police officer, a nurse, a teacher, a custodian, a firefighter, members of our armed services, a doctor, a truck driver, a construction worker, a cook, a housekeeper, a babysitter, an administrative assistant, a fellow co-worker, a dentist, a grocery store checker, a mentor, a mechanic.... the list goes on. If we all take a little time each day to truly thank the people in our lives for what they do, then I think the world will be a better place.
With all this talk of thanking a farmer a point was brought up in Jenny's blog comments that we as farmers should be thanking you, the consumer. I'm a firm believer in giving credit where credit is due and I want to take this opportunity to thank YOU for purchasing the products we produce. If it wasn't for you we wouldn't be able to be out here doing what we love each and every day. So, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for buying the products we put so much time and effort in to making.