Father's day, Mother's Day, Farmer's Day??

Everyone has heard about the days where we honor the parents who have lived through numerous sleepless nights, lived through all the temper tantrums, wiped away all the tears and changed all those dirty diapers.

There is now a day to honor farmers?  Many people think this is a bogus holiday that should be scratched from the record. I disagree with them.

How often have you said thank you to the cashier at the grocery store after she hands over your receipt, or thanked the waitress who has brought your food to the table? I am sure countless times, many of you may not realize you are doing it, but the person on the receiving end sure realizes it is happening. Now I will ask, how many of you have thanked the farmer who grew the potato that you just purchased, or who fed the cow everyday who was made into the steak you are eating?  I’m sure many of you can’t think of an instance where you said thank you to those farmers.

Many people do not realize that when you are raising production livestock, it is not a 9-5 punch clock job, it is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week job. During calving/lambing/kidding season, there are numerous night checks to ensure the birthing process is going smoothly, and if intervention is needed, it can be done in a timely manner. As well, those who are independent farmers who depend solely on the income of the farm, do not get paid every two weeks.  They must wait until they take in their crop, or until the cattle sell, which is only a few times a year. This takes a great business mind to be able to plan financially for months ahead of time. Even if they are not in the field, there is alot of office work to be done by a farmer.

June 10 is the day that you can say thank you. If you know a farmer, or see one during the day, take a minute and simply say thank you. It does not have to be a whole hallabaloo, you simply have to walk up, and shake their hand, and tell them how much you appreciate them.

Some of you may not know a farmer or be comfortable walking up to a complete stranger, but you can still say thank you. Leave a comment on this post regarding you appreciation for the hard work  of the local farmer, as I am sure there are a few who will read this.