By Paul Harvey
Farmers are the base of food production in the world. The Great Plains of America and the rich land of the Midwest are the sources of that food.
My childhood was spent on a farm in Illinois, where my folks farmed for about 40 years. The things I saw, did, and learned have been invaluable.
What some may not realize but farming is a 24/7 way of life. The money that goes into harvesting grain and taking care of livestock is unbelievable. Money spent on grain and feed has to provide livestock nutrition and the cost of livestock sales has to be factored into costs.
John Deere combine. Great equipment.
Deere + Massey Ferguson + International Harvester.....
Rising Feed $$ + Vet costs + cost of tractor equipment maintenance + fuel + unpaid labor are seen in the cost of meat. When the money is lost at the bottom of the food chain, the loss has to be made up by increasing meat costs or reducing herd numbers or both.
Who wins in this battle? Not the farmer.
I learned this whenever I needed a new pair of shoes or winter coat. When you have to pay for your needs, you just get less for more money.
So, Don't ever blame farmers for the cost of living. They are doing the best that they can, given the circumstances they face. When a person opens a can of corn or other vegetables, the farmer was there growing them.
Each clip is about 1 min. long. Jackson has been in the fields since he was in elementary school. Catch him in action at
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Jackson has stolen my heart! He is wise beyond his years and I love his Southern accent, too. Paul Harvey's tribute to farmers always moves me to tears. Thanks for sharing all this here, Susan. God bless you!
ReplyDeleteI cried when I heard Paul Harvey's voice. Farmers are the backbone of humanity.
DeleteI agree....as our family owns and operates a pecan nursery ...Lots of hard work and long hours.
ReplyDeleteWelcome! A pecan nursery! Your farming is difficult as well. Having an orchard and caring for it is hard work.
DeleteI come from farmers too. Even little ones are expected to pitch in.
ReplyDeleteabsolutely! I picked strawberries when I was 7. dishes were there waiting for a 7 yr. old.
DeleteWithout the farmers, we don't eat.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely.
DeleteI have never ever blamed Farmers for the cost of living. I blame governments who allow so many price rises resulting in huge profits for big business, so that farmers all over the world are walking away from the land they love because they just cannot afford it anymore. I remember the days when my mum grew fruit and vegetables, raised a few chickens and other poultry, raised a couple of sheep and a pig every year and the family was fully fed. No big scale grain growing in her backyard. If people nowadays had enough back yard to do this still, we'd be better off, but cities don't have the space and even small towns are more heavily populated with smaller and smaller yards and everyone going to work with very few staying home to tend to yards and gardens.
ReplyDeleteduring the great depression, my grandma was a warrior in food production. They lived along the rail line, and hobos were hungry. Grandma always set out sandwiches and milk for them.
DeleteGreat entry. I saw a couple tractors I have owned. One international is still out in the woods waiting to be rescued. LOL But you said:
ReplyDeleteSo, Don't ever blame farmers for the cost of living. They are doing the best that they can, given the circumstances they face. When a person opens a can of corn or other vegetables, the farmer was there growing them.,,
So true, my dad was a farmer long before he got to know me. I met a great farm family when living in Missouri and remember all the work i saw completed.
Good 'un!
Sherry & jack
I love going to vintage car events. the tractors are impressive. Love seeing how they developed.
DeleteThat young man is a mix of adorable and mind blowing smart! Gives me hope in the future and I hope he loves farming as much as his family does to work that hard for us to be able to eat! We live in a rural community and know how hard our friends who farm work each long day. We also have a big Amish community and watching them plow with horses again shows how hard it is to farm without those beautiful but expensive equipment the English here have. Fun videos! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteJackson is such an accomplished and intelligent boy. He has blown some old guys away with his knowledge of tractors.
DeleteMy mother grew up in a family of farmhands. They worked for others and that was hard. They were very poor. Nowadays, we do take our food for granted. And folks don't have a clue as to how tariffs will turn around and bite 'em on pricing. Yes, food costs more. It's worth it. Good post and Jackson is a cutie!
ReplyDeleteThe average age of farmers in the US is 65 and going up. They are dying, retiring, or just quitting, and it's hard as most young people don't want to do the work. We need to treat our farmers much, much better than we do.
ReplyDeleteI pray you and your family had a blessed and beautiful Happy Thanksgiving.