As lackluster as the Super Bowl and its commercials were this past Sunday, I was happy to see farmers gaining some hard-earned recognition. As a sixth-generation farmer myself, Im proud to see some light being shed on those of us entrusted with the imperative role of feeding the world.
There are approximately 318,892,103 people living in the United States, and that number is steadily rising even as you read this. Fortunately, America is able to call about 24 million members of their work force farmers.
However, at a mere 17 percent of the employed labor in this country, each of those farmers is tasked with the vital responsibility of feeding roughly 155 Americans, according to farmersfeedus.org. With a birth every 8 seconds, farmers have their work cut out for them.
Iowa is a prominent contributor to the agriculture industry, and weve got a lot to brag about. The states hog farmers rank first in the nation for pork production, raising 8 million hogs, almost three times the number of Iowans.
Cattle farmers impressively make a $5.1 billion contribution to the states economy, ranking seventh in the U.S. for beef production. The dairy industry is also booming, employing 26,000 statewide at approximately 2,000 Iowan dairies, and the list continues.
But, behind each one of these statistics is the face of a farmer: someone who can raise a family and a crop; someone who checks their cows at three in the morning during calving season and feeds those cows in the wind, rain and snow; someone who labors in the field from before sunrise until after sundown, but still finds the time to pause for ballgames and dance recitals; someone who waits for no weather, has never had a sick day, works every weekend and will never have a holiday off.
But most importantly, a farmer is someone who works for people they have never met, feeding families they will never see, in cities they have never heard of.
My message is simple: if you have ever used a crayon (soybeans), pulled on a T-shirt (cotton), enjoyed an ice cream cone (dairy), stopped at a fast food restaurant (beef) or filled your car with gas (corn), you can thank a farmer.
