As I traveled down to Fairfield, IA to speak at the Jefferson County Cattlemen's Association's summer event, Matt Lautner and I recorded a quick episode tackling some of my biggest concerns facing the agricultural industry and our food supply today. Have a listen, and let me know what you think!
Friends, the media might claim that we have a lot of differences to bicker about, but I believe we have more in common than we think. I found faith, family, and a love of farming halfway across the country, and I’m so grateful for the shared focus on planting good seeds and reaping a good harvest for future generations to thrive. May we all focus on doing exactly that.
A nation that can feed itself is strong. A nation that can supply its own energy is powerful. A nation where people have roofs over their heads is secure. A nation where people can afford clothing, groceries, electricity, and water is prosperous. A nation where agriculturalists are allowed to grow food, where foresters are able to harvest timber, where drillers are able to provide oil, well, that’s a nation that the rest of the world will respect and let lead.
The world may be going crazy in a lot of ways, but in the barn and out in the show ring, hard work, content of character, professionalism, and a “never-quit” attitude are still highly valued. And I now it’s those same skills that will lead this country in a positive direction. It truly takes a village to raise a child, and I’ll forever be thankful for the agricultural community for stepping up to the plate for these kids.
Hosted by the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation (SDCF), the Prime Time Gala is an annual event held every summer that features a steak supper, a benefit auction, and a concert. Proceeds from the event are donated to Feeding South Dakota, and the dollars raised are used to purchase beef for all of the food banks in the state of South Dakota.
This year’s event held in June raised a whopping total of $316,016, which was presented to Feeding South Dakota on stage at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center just before Hank Williams Jr. performed. To date, the event has generated $2,084,312 for Feeding South Dakota in nine years.
I’m deeply saddened to see so many farm and ranch families calling it quits. When I travel the country to speak, it troubles me to see small towns scattered across rural America with abandoned shops on main street.
I mourn what was, and wonder how we can reclaim that piece of the American dream. I refuse to accept that small family farms and ranches will go by the wayside like the dinosaurs. And while I understand that desire for an easier life, I am also becoming increasingly motivated to fight for a future where these small businesses can thrive.
It starts with each one of us committing to keeping our dollars circulating at home in rural America.
And when a kid may not have enough, well, we can get the job done in agriculture, too. We can’t bridge the gap between rural and urban by simply focusing on education and outreach. We move the needle in a positive direction by showing people where our hearts are. If your heart is in the right place, and you’re focused on providing solutions during hard times, not only will your community thrive, but chances are, your business will, too.
Let’s go out there, and make the world a better place, everybody! If anybody is up to that task, it’s America’s farmers and ranchers!
