Thankful Thanksgiving

I guess its Thanksgiving? With crops to harvest yet and cows to get out on stocks the work end of things seems more like October but the cold and snow make it seem more like January. When I look at the calendar, it tells me that this week is Thanksgiving whether I think it is or not. I have been threatening to go out and work after we finish lunch on Thanksgiving, but I know better, that and it’s supposed to rain.

Every year I like to take a little time to reflect on my life at Thanksgiving and do exactly what the holiday was designed for, to give thanks. I am not going to lie, this year it is a little harder for those of us in agriculture to give thanks, its no secret that this has been a tough year for most of us. Between the markets and the weather, it seems as though every time we get back up, we get knocked right back down. On the surface it may not seem like we have much to be thankful for.

However, we all know better than that. Even with these tough times I feel more thankful than ever to be an agriculture producer. Tough times have a way of reminding you why you chose to farm or ranch, it makes you look at your soul and remember what makes you get up every morning and face the challenges. I have been a part of agriculture all my life, so I guess the eternal optimism is just a part of me. Sure, there are dark moments when we all question what we are doing and wonder what else is out there. Those moment are fleeting and are always replaced with a determination to keep on plowing forward no matter what.

Tough times also remind us that farming and ranching is a family affair. I am not just talking about our blood relatives but also our agriculture community. Our neighbors and friends who are always there with advice and help, ready at any moment to jump in and help. More importantly they are there to talk to, vent when things are going well and to help celebrate the good times. Friends and neighbors are one of the best parts of the lifestyle we all chose.

We do have a lot to be thankful for in agriculture, even in these tough times, I know I wouldn’t trade my life for anything else. I would like to think I could do something else and make more money, but money is not what happiness is about. Could I find a job where I would have more free time and maybe a weekend or holiday off? I am sure I could, but we all know that agriculture is not about a job, it is a way of life that most of us were born into and some of us chose.

I am truly blessed and very thankful to be farming even in this most challenging time. I grew up wanting to be just like Dad and Grandpa working the soil, tending my animals and growing food. Time and years have not done anything but increase my love for what I do. It has been tough, and I am sure there are many more tough days ahead of me too. I also am equally sure there are some good days in my future too and it is those days I will cherish. I am thankful to be able to be a part of agriculture and even if it suddenly came to a crashing halt, I would not have traded or changed a moment.

I am thankful to work with my family each day on farms that the generations before me sacrificed and paid for with their blood sweat and tears. I am thankful to look forward to the future and have the hope that I can some day pass this legacy to the next generation and with any luck I will be able watch the generation after that come aboard. I am thankful for the good and deep friendships of my neighbors and friends.

Most of all I am thankful for a God who has made me caretaker over his land and animals. It is my deep hope that I am a good and faithful servant in all that I have been entrusted with. I am not sure why I have been given what I have, and I know that I do not deserve any of it. I am only a caretaker who hopes to leave things better than the way I found them.

This year has posed challenges like no other and at times, I must admit, it has been hard to be thankful. I suppose that is an indication of how I take my life for granted but I hope that even in this most hectic of years I will take a moment to pause and reflect on how thankful I am for all the blessings I have been given and I hope each of you will be able to do the same thing.