Category Archives: Thank a Farmer

Dodge RAM pays Super Bowl tribute with “So God made a Farmer”


Dodge RAM So God Made a Farmer

“…who would laugh and then sigh, and then reply with smiling eyes when his son says he want to spend his life doing what dad does – So God made a Farmer”

The Super Bowl is the most watched television event of the year. By some estimates, more than half of the country watches the game. Many are just as excited, if not more, to see the commercial break ads that air during the broadcast. This year, Dodge RAM used their ad space to declare 2013 the Year of the Farmer.

The full 2:00 minute video, as seen on the Dodge RAM campaign site, features the voice of radio legend Paul Harvey. Until his passing in 2009, many Americans grew up listening to his News and Comment and waiting for The Rest of the Story from the native-Oklahoman who held his commitment to America’s heartland. In 1978, at the Future Farmers of America convention, Harvey recited a tribute to the American farmer that still holds very true today – “So God Made a Farmer.”

How has farming changed since 1978′s ‘So God Made a Farmer?’ Read more here.

Harvey’s narrative describes the characteristics we look for in dedicated farmers and caretakers of the land. The lines have gained more than 1 million views on YouTube, with several farmers and agriculture organizations putting their own images to the words. No matter your religious preference, the message certainly inspires reflection on the history of this country’s hard-working farmers and ranchers. The scenes take viewers through the generations of farmers and ranchers, from the old to the young, including many landscapes of modern agriculture.

And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said I need a caretaker- So God made a Farmer

God said I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk the cows, work all day in the field, milk cows again, eat supper then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board – So God made a Farmer

I need somebody with arms strong enough to wrestle a calf and yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild; somebody to call hogs, tame cantankerous machinery, come home hungry, have to await lunch until his wife’s done feeding visiting ladies, then tell the ladies to be sure and come back real soon, and mean it – So God made a Farmer

God said I need somebody willing to sit up all night with and newborn colt, and watch it die, then dry his eyes and say maybe next year. I need somebody who can shape an axe handle from a persimmon sprout, shoe a horse with a hunk of car tire, who can make a harness out of hay wire, feed sacks and shoe straps, who at planting time and harvest season will finish his forty hour week by Tuesday noon and then, paining from tractor back, will put in another 72 hours – So God made a Farmer

God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain, and yet stop in midfield and race to help when he sees first smoke from a neighbor’s place – So God made a Farmer

God said I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bales, yet gentle enough to yean lambs and wean pigs and tend to pink-combed pullets; who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the broken leg of a meadowlark. It had to be somebody who’d plow deep and straight and not cut corners; somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed, and rake and disk and plow and plant and tie the fleece and strain the milk and replenish the self-feeder and a hard week’s work with a five-mile drive to church. Somebody who would bale a family together with the soft, strong bonds of sharing; who would laugh and then sigh, and then reply with smiling eyes when his son says he want to spend his life doing what dad does – So God made a Farmer

This video is not necessarily a campaign for the Dodge RAM products, but rather a campaign to support the FFA Foundation (also known as Future Farmers of America) and their hunger initiative “Feeding the World – Starting at Home.”

So God Made a Farmer Dodge Ram

“I need somebody who can shape an axe handle from a persimmon sprout, shoe a horse with a hunk of car tire, who can make a harness out of hay wire, feed sacks and shoe straps…”

According to FFA Foundation CEO, Dwight Armstrong, RAM will donate up to $1,000,000 to the Foundation based on the views of the video and activity on the website. Individuals are encouraged to view the video and recommend it to others.

“Supporting this positive messaging about the American Farmer will raise awareness of the National FFA Organization within the general public while providing significant support to a major FFA initiative,” Armstrong stated in a letter to members and supporters.

Rural Americans took this ad space with extra gratitude and appreciation as farmers and ranchers have been working hard to share their stories with an America generations removed from the farm.

North Dakota farm mom, Katie Pinke, expressed the sentiment well in her blog post about the video.

“After watching the commercial, I feel like there is more hope in the world. Hope for agriculture, for family farmers, to feed a growing population, to connect everyday Americans to where their food comes from and to build a greater connected community for agriculture in America.”

Thanks goes to Dodge RAM for the recognition of America’s Farmers and Ranchers and for helping the efforts of such a great organization like FFA.

Other thoughts on the RAM video from farmers, ranchers, and the agriculture community

Saturday morning at Nashville Farmers Market


I grew up on a ranch where Saturday mornings were for chores and feeding the cattle. After 5 years of college, I still don’t know what to do with my Saturdays. My last trip to the Nashville Farmers Market was when my siblings came to visit on Spring Break. There wasn’t much in season then, so food available was mostly canned or early spring plants.

Today I decided to head back for a trip. I needed to go grocery shopping anyway. So I got up and went first thing this morning. Nashville obviously isn’t a town of early risers. 9 A.M. and the place was still fairly empty.

WTF? – Where’s the food, without the farmer?

There were a host of great farmers from the region. Lots of early summer vegetable available. I picked up some squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers. I also picked up some peaches. Gotta have something sweet once in a while! I’ll be eating extra fresh and local this week!

There was only one farmer there with meat products – beef, pork and chicken. We talked for a moment and gave me a flyer. His beef is grass-fed, grass-finished, dry-aged, certified natural. Pork advertised as pastured. Chicken true free-range and french label rouge style. You can see more about his products at the Walnut Hills Farm website.

Food Safety is always important

It’s great to have fresh foods from local farmers, organic, natural, or conventional. No matter the source of your food, its important to consider food safety.

Keep your produce safe with these tips:

  • Before and after preparing fresh produce, wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap.
  • Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking. We don’t recommend washing fruits and vegetables with soap or detergent or using commercial produce washes.
  • Even if you plan to peel the produce before eating, it is still important to wash it first. Any bacteria present on the outside of items like melons can be transferred to the inside when you cut or peel them.
  • Be sure to refrigerate cut or peeled fruits and vegetables within two hours after preparation.
Tips for food safety of juices, dairy, egg, and meat products are available from FoodSafety.gov. Pathogens like E.coli aren’t prejudice and can show up on any food if not handled and prepared properly.

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After picking up my veggies and talking to the meat farmer, I headed inside the market area for an awesome breakfast wrap from one of the local vendors – 2 eggs, ham, red onions, bell pepper, tomato, and tobasco sauce. Mmm… the world was right again!

Do you have a favorite local farmers market? What do you pick up there and how often do you visit?

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I am not a good fisherman


I’ll never claim to be a good fisherman. As a kid I went pretty regular. On our ranch we had several ponds with catfish, bass, and crappie. Every time the grandparents would come visit we’d be out at the ponds all day and cleaning fish at night. I look back at those days and enjoy them quite a bit.

Sunday, the roommate, a friend, and I went to several holes around the lake. (FYI – The State ain’t afraid to charge a pretty penny for an out-of-state fishing license.) Just below the Locks we were run off when a tug boat came through. It was kinda noisy there any way.

The next hole, we were just below a dam. It was a quiet place to sit and soak it all in. I got a few good bites. Then the snakes showed up. Four of em came up and swam right up to our feet. You can call me a puss all day long, (pictures Tuff Hedeman scene from 8 Seconds) but I ain’t stickin around to see how big they are. After the fourth snake and no fish we decided it best to move on.

Then we found an even quite cove with shallow water. No snakes. No tug boats. Then a jet ski came around the bend. No fish.

We took in a drive around a few roads and found a lil family restaurant at a marina. Mmmm the burger was good! The other guys got the Tuna sandwich and it didn’t quite satisfy. (See, smart guys know beef fills a person up!)

At the end of the day we found another cove closer to town. I caught a small bass as did the friend. The roommate ended up with a stick.

Long story, short – at the end of the day I’m not a very good fisherman. If I had to survive on what I caught today, I’d be mighty hungry. Might need some help from Jesus to make my two fish into a feast.

When it comes down to it, I’m glad I’m better at raising cattle. And I’m thankful for our modern agriculture system that allows us to have a large diversity of food, year-round, and all at one setting without having to live on the fish we catch in a day. So much like I need to thank a beef, dairy, pork, wheat, and many vegetable farmers for my lunch, we should be thankful every time we sit down to eat. And thankful for modern agriculture that allows us to enjoy all variety of food whenever we please.

By the way, there’s never a day wasted fishing as long as you get to soak up some sun, fresh air, and the scenery of the water ways. Ok, now I need to get back to fishing…

Did you thank a farmer for your food, fiber, and fuel products today?

If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles.  ~Doug Larson

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Wear Green | Support Agriculture


Wear Green. Support Agriculture.

Have you ever sparked a conversation about something on a person’s shirt? Sure you have! That’s why we have t shirts from event sponsors, kid’s favorite cartoon characters, and even our favorite organizations. But have you ever considered wearing a shirt to spark a conversation about food?

Today is the 3rd Annual Wear Green In Support of Agriculture Day. Over the past few years, thousands of people have joined in on a day in April to wear green and show their support of Agriculture. I take it a step further and wear a t-shirt that has an Agriculture theme.

A few weeks back I wore my AgChat Foundation shirt on a trip to the grocery store. While at the deli counter getting some fresh roast beef and cheese, the lady behind the counter inquired about the shirt. She got the ‘Ag’ portion but wanted to know what it was about.

I explained how farmers and ranchers are making efforts to share with consumers their passion for food and inviting people to visit their farms from thousands of miles away thanks to internet networking. We went on to talk about food choices and I was able to clear up a few misconceptions when it came to feeding cattle. I didn’t even have my phone with me that day or I would have snapped a picture.

Did you eat today? Thank a Farmer.

I look forward to more conversations like that and enjoy showing my passion for Food with everyone I meet. How about you?

Have you ever sparked a conversation about Food or Agriculture that stemmed from a t-shirt design?