The western fires raged in September. Hurricanes devastated crops last month. It was monsoon season in a part of the world. Few fish remain in some of our oceans. With such adversity, farmers in America still produce more, high quality, nutritional, inexpensive food than anywhere else in the world.
Many farmers do it with little or no return on their investment.
They still work long hours at low-income wages and have a demanding, stressful work environment. Farmers for the most part, like what they do, and will continue as long as they possibly can. Long time farmers tell us that it is that ability to be in touch with nature, test management skills, make independent decisions and live with the consequences, that attract them to this way of life. The skills required are mental rather than physical, analytical rather than critical. Of course, there is a place for each of us, and no two individuals should or could perform the same labor in exactly the same way with the same results.