b'Cowgirl With A PenAPPRECIATING Farmers & RanchersBy Naomi LoomisPlease follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @thecirclelranch. Visit our website at thecirclelranch.com and send any comments to Loomis489@yahoo.com. I would love hearing from you.T o those that work in acres, not in hours, I believe inthat costs are on the rise. The cost of living is at an all- Farmers and ranchers care. No, really, we do care. you but a disturbing trend has come to my attention.time high, and so is the cost of raising food. Farmers/ Farmers and ranchers are special characters, they are We, the people, are forgetting our roots. Theranchers have the necessary traits to do their jobs well.confident in what they do.productive harvest of our foods has changed. ChangedI would encourage all of you to educate yourselves you may ask? Only about 9.3% of Americans work inabout food production. I would also encourage you toWe love bananas, strawberries, rice, soybeans, corn, and Ag-related jobs, causing people to wonder where theirremember that there are always two sides to every story.so on right? Each and every farm and/or ranch has its food comes from. Those in Ag-related jobs, farmers/ So the next time you hear something negative or iffy,special crop(s) they grow. At our place in the Sandhills, ranchers, work hard every day by putting food on ourplease seek out that other side of that story. our soil is best known for growing grass for our cattle. plates every meal each day. But with all the marketingLand differs around the world. We need all of these technology and misinformation, we the people areI am not only a concerned mom, a ranch wife, and afarmers and ranchers to ensure our food chain is filled forgetting where our food comes from. You see,rancher who believes in American food production,with products we all like. Farmers and ranchers know marketing misinformation has reallybut I also believe thattheir soil, their climates, and can produce food more gone wild. And we as consumers need we the people need toefficiently because they know what their land can do.to know/remember a few things. communicate more with each other. WeWithout farmers and ranchers most of the world, When was the last time you visitedneed to tell our stories.especially those that live in cities, would lack a source a farm/ranch? If you have not takenAnd I am challengingof protein. I mean, the reality is that the majority of the time to go visit a farm/ranch, Iyou to use your criticalpeople cannot raise cattle or chickens at their houses and encourage you to do so. Most farms/ thinking skills andthey dont have the time to take care of them, or space. ranches are family owned. Ask themnot let media reportsFarmers and ranchers ensure that we all have a valuable questions. I guarantee you will be moreor activist agendassource of protein to add to our diet. thankful for your food. make up your food decisions. How muchWe wouldnt have clothes on our backs without farmers Have you considered the bigger pictureare you really willingand ranchers. I know I dont have time nor do I know how of food production? With the worldto pay for food? Afterto grow and gin my own cotton. I also know that I dont population growing, advances in foodall, what will our tableshave time nor do I know how to make shoes. We need production are necessary. Meeting thelook like when our foodtheir decades of experience and traditions of growing needs of our hungry world is going tocomes from a differentgood fuel and fiber to ensure that our life continues.country or our food is too expensive becauseI appreciate all the farmers and ranchers that bringwe the people listenedfood to our table and that grow items so we all canto misinformation instead of sound science and thosebe clothed. men and women working hard every day to bring safe, wholesome, and nutritious food to our tables?Isnt it nice that there are people who are willing to work day in and day out to ensure that grocery stores, farmers markets, and meat shops carry our favorite foods?Have you thanked a farmer or a rancher today for the food you eat? Have you thought about why we need farmers and ranchers?In no particular order, here are a few reasons why we all need farmers and ranchers.God isnt giving us any more land; therefore, we need take technology, advances, and constant improvement.farmers and ranchers to take care of the land that is left. It is really easy for we the people, unfamiliar with worldFarmers and ranchers take seriously their commitment food needs, to complain about dust, animal smells, slow-to their land and animals. One of our goals at the Circle moving equipment, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics,L Ranch is to leave the land better. The only way we can and other things we may not understand. But considerdo that is to take care of it.the big picture, we the people have an abundant supply of the safest food in the world to put on our tables. Farmers and ranchers know their stuff, and by stuff I mean they know the ins and outs of their operations. Do you know what food production really involves?They know what needs to be done and when it needs to Food production involves extensive knowledge ofbe done. They know when the cattle need feed and when business, respect for the land, ethical animal treatment,the crops need to be planted. I personally know the and an understanding of risk management. We all knowSTUFF and it is not for everyone.14 September 2023'