I’d like to open by applauding the selfless medical professionals, first responders, and countless other industries that are keeping our nation alive and well during this crisis. May we all be forever grateful and indebted to each and every one of you for your services to your fellow Americans!

This morning is particularly frosty. The cedar’s branches are droopy and heavy with a wet, spring snow. The sun is hidden underneath a thick blanket of cloud cover; the horse pasture is ominous and dark from the day before’s blizzard. The hubby rushes out the door, our niece in tow, to feed hungry cows and let the horses out of the barn. As I sip my hot coffee, toddler tugging at my sleeve for more cinnamon toast, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. Despite the current circumstances, the American Farmer and Rancher, truck driver and grocery store clerk, grain elevator operator and sale barn manager, and countless others, have made breakfast for my family possible this morning. They’ve provided us the ever-necessary lifeline of nourishment; despite it all.

 

What an incredible time to be reflective of how blessed we are in this country. Blessed by an abundant and affordable source of food, fiber, and protein. Some non-perishables are thin do to panic buying, but we have no reason to fear our food source not being available. Have you ever reflected on that? How amazing it is that as Americans, we never fear that our food source would not be there? How incredible is it that as a society we have the ability to be particular about what we buy? So many people and countries don’t have that ability. I think that as American’s, being the most prosperous nation in the world, we can take for granted the simple yet all-important ability to feed our families and to have full grocery store shelves. Of course, there are families who are unable to feed themselves due to financial hardship and I don’t yet have a viable solution/idea to make sure every single family is well-fed. That being said, as a whole, our country doesn’t have a food shortage problem and I don’t think that the average American realizes what a big deal that is. Today, and everyday, we can thank American Agriculture for providing our family with the single most important thing to keep us alive, food.

Despite social distancing and the majority of the work-force being forced into self-quarantine, Agriculture, along with many other essential personnel, are hustling and bustling. The need for nourishment never ceases, never stops and no matter the current crisis, must keep going. I hope that this a time in which politicians and the general public see how difficult we make it for Farmers and Ranchers to do their jobs and how imperative it is that we are able to continue providing food, fiber, and protein for the nation for generations to come. I hope that in the future, we can set policy and pass laws to make getting food on America’s table just a little bit easier. Without fuel for our bodies, nurses wouldn’t be able to give much needed care to sick patients, doctors and scientist wouldn’t be able to tirelessly search for a cure, truck drivers wouldn’t have the strength to drive through the night, and families wouldn’t be able to gather around the table and take their minds off our current situation, even if for just a minute.

Agriculture is the lifeline of this nation. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to live. Maybe now is the turning point in our nation for many things, but also for more appreciation of where our food comes from and the people who make feeding your family possible. Without the American Farmer and Rancher, not only would we be dealing with a global pandemic, but also the lack of ability to eat, to fuel, to cloth our families. Maybe now is the time to better educate ourselves as a society on where our food comes from and how to decrease propagated and damaging information regarding the industry. Through all of this, I think that as a nation we have realized how truly important agriculture is. It isn’t just a way of life; riding horses and gathering cattle, a firm handshake and your word as your bond, unmatched work ethic and integrity, it’s the single most vital industry on the planet tasked with the most essential job in the world. Today, I ask you to say a little prayer for the hard-working men and women who made nourishment possible for you and your family today.

Say a prayer for our medical professionals, grocers, delivery drivers, warehouse workers, skilled tradespeople and all the people in between putting their health on the line to keep this country going in this time of crisis. God Bless America, and God Bless the American Farmer and Rancher.