I love Thanksgiving! So many things to be thankful for! I have a happy, healthy family, warm home, good friends, AND… lots of food on my table! In a time set aside for being grateful for a bounteous harvest, I think it also makes sense to be thankful for those who grew that harvest!
This is the wheat harvest on our farm.
Everything on your Thanksgiving table, from yams to cranberries to the turkey itself was grown by a farmer. Actually, most everything on your table everyday was grown by a farmer. Fruit Loops? Yep. Cream cheese? Yep. Popcorn, salad dressing, crackers, ice cream, maybe even some of the ingredients in hot dogs. 😉
This is Daddy hauling corn to the elevator. Just one piece in the grand scheme of groceries!
And besides all that, did you know America has the safest food supply on the planet? Ever.
I might check to see if I’m choosing all beef hot dogs, but I’ve never worried that I’m actually purchasing horse meat instead. I get annoyed if the milk I buy is too close to its expiration date but I don’t worry that it has been watered down before it lands in my cart. I don’t wonder what was processed in the plant along with my Cheerios and I trust that the nutrition facts printed on labels are actual facts.
Yes, there are recalls from time to time. A few people each year may even die from food disease. This is heartbreaking. It’s also a big deal. Why? Because it’s so rare.
This is a soybean plant, safely growing on Marshall farms!
Guess what else. America also has one of the most abundant food supplies in the world. Ever.
Sure, the stores sell out of milk a few hours before a snow storm moves in. Oh the horror. I’ve gotten frustrated because the baby food options were sadly lacking at a small Wal-Mart. My life is so tough. The point is you’re not likely planning back-up menu options just in case all of the meat has sold out for the day. Instead you’re more likely to walk up to the produce counter and be overwhelmed at the sheer number of choices!
Harvesting corn which will then be used to make food products like corn starch!
And its affordable.
According to the USDA-ERS, consumers in the US spend about 10% of their disposable income on food. That means we have 90% to spend on whatever else we like! In Italy they spend about 14% of their income on food, but the Chinese spend 33% and in Pakistan it’s a whopping 46%! Maybe the price of beef isn’t as bad as I thought!
So yes, I’m thankful for pumpkin pie and yeast rolls and green bean casserole. But I’m also thankful for the farmers of this country who grow the safest, most abundant, most affordable food on the planet. And I’m thankful for it every day of the year.
Daddy's Tractor 
Aw. Makes me proud to be a farmer. 🙂 Thank you guys for all your hard work. You help feed my cattle, horses, chickens, and my family. A lot of what’s on our table came from our own little piece of heaven on earth, but we never forget the rest came from farmers like you as well. So again, thank you.
Thanks Jessica! And thanks for all the work you do on your end too! Our backyard livestock is nothing compared to the work done on a farm like yours!
Flip the subjects (“ours” and “yours”) of that last sentence around, and you’re probably right. Hehe
I love the photos you take for your blog. I enjoy reading your blog, too.
It is interesting to think about how much we take for granted the safety of our food. It is true that we really take it for granted.
Thank you– I’m so glad you read it! 🙂 And yeah, I take it for granted all too often myself!