035- Rooted part 2 : Farming & Ranching

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In March of 2023, I attended an amazing retreat called Ascend, which I wrote about HERE. The attendees all received a book called, "Rooted: How I stay small town strong when life gets hard and how you can too" by Lewellyn Melnyk. The author was kind enough to gift us all a copy of this book. In a previous blog post, I wrote about the parts of the book that spoke to me regarding self care, mental health, and personal development, while living in a rural area. The other part of the book that spoke to me was regarding agriculture, farming, and ranching.

Growing up in ranching and farming, I've always felt like it was an "us vs. them" mentality. The farmers and ranchers are the "us" and the consumers (and critics) are the "them." On page 159 of Rooted, Melnyk shares this: In the United States, only 1.4% of people work in the agricultural sector according to the USDA, feeding 330 million people in this country, and many commodities are exported on both sides of the border to feed people around the world. (source: Ag and Food Sectors and the Economy" Economic Research Service USDA, February 24, 2022) The global population is expected to increase by 2.2 billion by 2050, which means farmers will have to grow about 70% more food than what is now being produced, according to the American Farm Bureau (source: Fast Facts About Agriculture & Food, American Farm Bureau website, 2021).

It's pretty crazy when you think about what farmers and ranchers do for our nation and the world. However, often it feels like a pretty thankless job. I loved Melnyk's quote on page 87 about this, farming and ranching are ...a profession where you are tasked with feeding the world, with little to no credit in doing so, and are often criticized for rising food prices or the way food is grown, all while the profession breeds burnout in isolation with little mental health supports.

One of the most significant challenges faced by farmers and ranchers is the increasing pressure to produce more food as the global population continues to grow. Farmers and ranchers need to find innovative ways to meet the increasing demand for food. This has led to criticism for the way they operate, their environmental impact, and perceived insensitivity to animal welfare.

Criticism isn't the only challenge farmers face; they are also blamed for rising food prices in the grocery store. When food prices surge, consumers are quick to point fingers at the agricultural industry. There are many other factors to consider that farmers and ranchers have zero control over. These are things like rising costs of inputs like seeds, fertilizers, animal feed, and fuel (the price of fuel affects the price of everything!); dealing with water- either too much or not enough; government and regulatory challenges; unpredictable weather patterns- storms, droughts, hurricanes, to name a few. All or any of these things can have a profound impact on food prices. Farmers often find themselves caught in a volatile economic cycle that leaves them vulnerable to criticism and financial instability. All farmers and ranchers want to generate enough revenue support their family, but I don't know a single one that goes into the agriculture industry to get rich. Farming is a profession that sustains life as we know it. Despite the vital role farmers and ranchers play in our society, they often receive little credit and face numerous challenges. As consumers, it's essential that we recognize the invaluable contributions of our farmers and ranchers. Many in agriculture have begun to "share their story" as a way to educate consumers and them what really happens in farming and ranching in our nation. This puts a face to who might be producing what ends up on your dinner plate. Ask questions with an open mind. Attempt to understand why they do what they do.

Let's stand together in appreciation of these unsung heroes and work towards a future where farming is a profession that thrives, not just for the sake of sustenance, but for the well-being of those who dedicate their lives to it. Our lives depend on it. Farmers and ranchers make themselves (and all of us) proud everyday, even if they don't realize it.