Land That I Love BY CALLIE BURNETT
I
love the farm. I was born and raised there. My family and I live there. I got a lot of my practical education there. My heart beats there. It’s home; and the old saying couldn’t be truer – home really is where the heart is. In many ways for me, it’s the love of place – where humidity smothers in the summer months like a grandmother hugging her grandchildren with no intentions of letting go. It’s the pungent smell of cow manure on a hot and sunny June day, the soothing sound of raindrops on a tin barn roof from a pop-up raincloud in late August, the sticky-sweet fragrance of tobacco curing in late September, and the sheer exhaustion felt at the end of a strenuous harvest season. It’s the mouth-watering aroma of Gramma’s legendary apple pie, the perfume of my great-grandmother’s century-old peonies blooming in spring, the tacky texture of clay soil between my fingers, and the familiar hum of an old Ford truck in need of a new muffler. Home – it’s where I feel the most tangible sense of pride. It’s where farming successes and failures are so palpable that I can physically reach out and touch them. It’s where I’ve witnessed with my own two eyes, sometimes teary and other times in awe, the abundance of God’s handiwork – sunrises, sunsets, births, deaths, plantings, harvests, beginnings, and ends. It’s where I’ve watched my family dream, think, plan, grow, invent, improvise, sweat, and work. It’s where traditions are made and kept, livelihoods and legacies are built, and life’s greatest and most valuable lessons are learned. It’s green John Deere tractors, red Farmall 140s, double-decker Moonpies at snack time, and ice-cold well water from a Woodford hydrant. Home - it’s where we fly the Stars and Stripes high because we’re proud to be American and take pride in our American roots and products. It’s where we have a genuine and passionate love and respect for the Red, White, and Blue… despite the aggression, ridicule, and scorn we receive from those who are misinformed or know nothing about farming…or our way of life. It’s where we till our land, grow our crops and livestock, and harvest our commodities with faith
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and a persistent and fierce determination - even during economic hardship and when we’re at the mercy of Mother Nature and fluctuating market values. America – it really is “the beautiful”, as the song goes. And I think we as farmers, ranchers, and farm families get the most unique front row seat when it comes to America’s true beauty because we play such a large role in making America the great place that is it. It’s been said by lots of people over the course of many years that we are the backbone of this great nation. And I wholeheartedly agree. The “spacious skies” that stretch as far as the eye can see, the “amber waves of grain” that rustle in the gentle breeze – God really did “shed His grace on thee”, and America as we know it would not be what it is today if we didn’t have our farmers and ranchers. Now I’m not saying that farming and ranching is always beautiful, because I think we’d all agree that it’s not – especially as of late. We are living, working, raising our families, and continuing to feed and clothe America in some really tough times that, in many ways, are getting tougher as the days and years go by. But I do think that even when times are at their toughest, there is always beauty to be found. Something I have always found to be true is that we all have at least one thing in common. And that is, regardless of the situation or circumstance, we press on. We’re resilient in the face of adversity, much like this great nation. And the last few months, especially, have really shown our grit and resolve. We’re Americans. We’re stewards of the land. It’s what we do. It’s in our nature. We’ve devoted our lives to providing for our families and fellow Americans, and we go to great lengths to do just that. So let’s raise our flags to this great land that we’re blessed to call home, salute those who fought and continue to fight for our freedoms, and hold our nation’s leaders and military in our thoughts and prayers so that we may keep the liberties we enjoy today. May God truly bless America. May God bless the American farmer and rancher. And may we never forget that the freedoms we enjoy here at home are not free.
