By Ed Nicholson
It's Thanksgiving week here in the U.S. Actually every week should be Thanksgiving week.
Though there are way, way too many hungry people in our country, there are a lot of us who are fed quite well all year long.
And that simply would not be the case without millions of hardworking farmers.
One doesn't go into farming because it's a glamorous business, spiked with opportunities for abundant wealth.
It's hard work, more so than many of us will ever comprehend. It's fraught with risks, and at times the rewards are slim.
The people who go into farming--and stay with it through their lifetimes--have a love for the land that will never be understood by those who do drive-by movies and books about the current "state of agriculture." If their families haven't already been in agriculture for generations, you can bet they're hopeful it's something they can pass to their children.
Because they do it, you’ll have something for which to be thankful.
So this week, as you raise your thoughts in thanks, send up some gratitude for the farmers and ranchers who helped put the food on the table. Whether it's turkey or tofurkey; from across the country or across the highway, a farmer's market or a megamarket; at your home, a restaurant or in a soup kitchen, someone worked hard so that you can enjoy your meal.
At Tyson Foods, we'd like to send thanks to those farmers and ranchers who keep us in business: the folks we buy corn, beans and other ingredients from. And a special thanks to the 6000 people who grow chickens for us, and the tens of thousands of people who raise the hogs and cattle we buy every day. We’re grateful for you and to you.
If you agree with this post, we encourage you to use your communications resources to promote gratitude to farmers--post a blog entry or Facebook status. Or if you're a Twitter user, use the hashtag #thankafarmer. We're trying to get the effort to trend at 10 a.m. CST today (Wednesday).
Blog posts about the #ThankAFarmer Effort
Love Thanksgiving? Thank a Farmer - Busy Women's Guide to Eating Better http://bit.ly/8lvACg
Giving Thanks - Cut to the Paste http://bit.ly/8w1Bvz
Be Thankful for a Lot of Things, and Don't Forget the Farmers - Texas Agriculture Talks http://bit.ly/7vcClc
America’s Family Farmers – Food for thought from Monsanto http://bit.ly/8HXNux
Farmers make foodie aspirations possible - Farm Bureau Blog http://bit.ly/4svklJ
Don't Be a Turkey This Thanksgiving, Thank a Farmer - Beyond the Rows http://bit.ly/6Y8WgQ
Food a Plenty, Thanks to family farmers - NCGA http://bit.ly/2plNrK
Giving Thanks - Marketing Newbie http://bit.ly/8nhJCs
A place to post your thanks - Beef from Pasture to Plate http://bit.ly/5nuPL9
A Farmer in Northwest Iowa - Faith, Fiction, Friends http://bit.ly/5EdzJl
Thanking a Farmer for Introducing Me to the World of Beef Cattle - Beef from Pasture to Plate http://bit.ly/5DpkxC
Fun Facts about the Food We Eat - Ag Day http://bit.ly/70rAgI
Thank a Farmer - Beef From Pasture to Plate http://bit.ly/8oEQni
#thank a Farmer - JB Chicago http://bit.ly/5rfMzp
Thank a Farmer - Advocates for Ag http://bit.ly/7MHmCo
Reflections on Your Thanksgiving Plate--Michele Payn-Knoper http://bit.ly/7Kz2r0
A New Thanksgiving Tradition in the Making? #Thankafarmer http://jplovescotton.wordpress.com/
#ThankaFarmer - Ray-Lin Dairy http://bit.ly/5OgYgC