Celebrating National Ag Day and the Heart of Farming

I am proud to be a farmer: it’s a genuine privilege to serve my family and yours every day. Like most farmers, I have seen life’s greatest challenges and greatest joys on the farm. Farming is a tough business, and the men and women across this country who farm put their heart and soul into it, every day. As we mark National Ag Day next week, let’s take a moment to reflect on what farming is all about.

Farming Is about Commitment

Farming is more than a job to the 3.4 million farmers across this country: it is a calling. We understand that families in our nation and around the world are counting on us to grow safe, affordable products to help fuel their lives and their life-callings. One of the best parts of my job as the American Farm Bureau president is traveling around our great country to meet with the men and women who grow our food, fiber, renewable fuel, floral and forestry products, and so much more. I could fill a whole column talking about the diversity of agricultural products American farmers grow. U.S. agriculture touches every part of our lives from the food in our pantries to the paper in our printers. Farmers also play a role in growing the economy with more than 48 million jobs supported by agriculture. Farmers know that millions of Americans are counting on us, and we know we can’t do this work alone. We are grateful for the men and women who show up with us every day—our employees—who share the same commitment to keeping our nation’s food supply secure.

Farming Is about Stewardship

Farmers and ranchers are also committed to leaving the land better than we found it. As my father always taught me, “if you take care of the land, it will take care of you.” Thanks to voluntary, stewardship practices, agriculture in the U.S. makes up just a small fraction of overall greenhouse gas emissions, less than 10%. While we see buzzwords cropping up all the time, from sustainability to regenerative agriculture, farmers know these are just new names for practices we have been using for decades. Every morning, I am grateful for the opportunity to care for the same land my father and grandfather did, and my son and I can still farm that land today because of the careful stewardship we have practiced. Taking care of the soil and protecting our natural resources are daily practices on our farms. It’s just what we do.

Farming is about Family

Most American farms are family businesses, with deep roots in our communities. According to the last Census of Agriculture from USDA, 95% of U.S. farms are family owned and operated. This means families are often farming alongside neighbors they have known for years. Farmers are not only committed to the well-being of their own families, but we are also invested in giving back and supporting our neighbors and local communities. Just one example of this is the Harvest for All program. In 2024 alone, Young Farmers & Ranchers Committees and other members across Farm Bureau raised $658,606, donated nearly 29 million meals, and volunteered 24,200 hours of service.

This commitment to family and community is also why Farm Bureau places such a high priority on strengthening our rural communities. We want to enrich the rural communities where our grassroots members live and work. Farm Bureau began as a local organization and everything we do is ultimately about giving back to our communities—from developing young and beginning farm leaders to encouraging rural entrepreneurs to being the leading voice of farmers in our nation’s capital. On Ag Day and every day, Farm Bureau is proud to stand up with and for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities as we work together to build a sustainable future for agriculture.

Happy National Ag Day!