This photo appeared in my newsfeed, credited to http://www.thefarmersdaughterusa.com. It got me thinking about the people I serve and love. I shared it, with my thoughts:
I’m not too biased to acknowledge that there are a few knuckleheads out there with no business having animals, or children for that matter. I could write a book about all the ways I’ve personally witnessed farmers care for livestock. Have you ever watched a grown man get teary eyed losing a 12 year old cow who has brought 10 calves into the world during her life at his farm? Then there’s the mother and kids who take turns through the night making sure a calf is staying propped up and giving it fluids. The farmer who parked two tractors around a down cow to give her some shade from the summer sun. The boy who changed bandages and treated a piglet who degloved the skin from its entire leg – yes, just to return it to the litter and raise it for market. Our society is too separated from the realities of meat, milk, and fiber production. Marketers and media fill that gap to make money, earn your mouse clicks, subscriptions, and purchases. In doing so, they deliver stories that distort reality and shape opinions and perceptions that are not fully informed. We are fortunate to live in a country where most people have choices in their dietary options. Regardless of your choice, they all require a farmer, an agriculturalist. These are some of the most hardworking people, battling unpredictable markets, weather, and public scrutiny. They’re also human beings who live and serve in their communities. I encourage you to get to know them – you might learn something you didn’t see on google or that social media video.
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