Eastern Iowa Farmer Spring 2021

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A farming future is worth the sacrifice By JENNA STEVENS Ag in the Classroom Coordinator Clinton County Farm Bureau EASTERN IOWA FARMER Future is Still on the Farm.” If you have a DeWitt Central FFA “America’s member living in your house or you have seen them around town, this phrase might look familiar to you. That is because it is the slogan selected to represent the FFA chapter on the back of this year’s t-shirts. Why? Because of a conversation that was had by the officer team at their summer retreat. That conversation brought up the importance of production agriculture and how traditional practices will continue to serve us in the future. Agriculture is many things: it is innovation, it is progress, it is technology, but most importantly it is farming. You see, agriculture no longer must mean green tractors or faded blue overalls. The term can be used to describe a roof-top garden in New York City or an urban chicken coop in California. And yes, it is all these things; but, the bulk of production agriculture still happens here in the finishing barn down the road or in the combine that I am watching cross our field as I type this sitting on my porch. More than that though, America’s future is still on the farm because the farm is what makes up the core of agriculture, and the people who embrace this lifestyle are people whose values need to be included in the future. The values we find in the farming community are values like determination, sacrifice, and faith, things that put into perspective what is really important. If you have ever lived with a farmer during January, you know the face of determination. It is the soaked coveralls and frozen hands as he works to unthaw a cattle waterer after an ice storm or the sleep that gets sacrificed during harvest season because the daylight hours were spent changing out broken belts. These are not the fun parts of farming. I do not know of a single farmer who considers cleaning up after an ice storm a good time, but these are the things that make us resilient, and that is something our future desperately needs. Society makes it easy to quit. Quit the team if you don’t like the coach, quit your job if you don’t like your boss, and yet our farmers who fight against weather and markets and breakdowns, who have every reason to quit, don’t. This is why America’s future continues to be on the farm. Because farmers are people who continue to show up and work an honest day. They are also the ones teaching the next generation how to care for their land and livestock and how to take responsibility for things beyond themselves. Farm kids are a dwindling population, and yet the ones still around defend this lifestyle fiercely because somewhere between morning chores and weekends in the tractor seat, they see their own futures start to take shape. While none of us truly know what lies ahead, one thing is for certain, America still needs producers to grow our food and give direction to the next generation. The value set of farmers will continue to be important for years to come and reminds us that tradition is its own way forward. America’s future IS still on the farm, and a farming future is one worth sacrificing for. n Eastern Iowa Farmer photo / contributed Jake VanderHeiden, a DeWitt Central FFA member, climbs a grain bin during harvest at his family’s farm outside of Wheatland. The slogan on the back of VanderHeiden’s shirt represents the FFA chapter’s commitment to spreading a positive message about Iowa agriculture and celebrating the farmers in our community who work hard to produce our food. 96 Eastern Iowa Farmer | Spring 2021 eifarmer.com
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The Eastern Iowa Spring 2021 Farmer
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