So God Made a Farmer

This year I opted not to watch the Super Bowl. Instead, I watched a Golden Girls marathon and caught up on some homework with the occasional Twitter and Facebook updates. Thankfully, my friends kept me in the loop when it came to commercials this year. And, after many tweets about Dodge and "So God Made a Farmer," I had to google this commercial. Good decision on my part.

Growing up, I spent many summer days at my grandparents house. Not only did I grow up on a farm, but I grew up listening to Paul Harvey's radio talk show every day during lunch. It was something that happened everyday whether my brother and I were there or not. And, we knew that during Paul Harvey it was time to be quite. I have to admit, I enjoyed listening to it and learned much more that I thought I would. I can still remember a few of the jokes and stories and how he always ended each show with "Good Day." 

For obvious reasons, I absolutely love this commercial. Paul Harvey delivered this very speech at the 1978 National Future Farmers of America Convention. I can only wish I was there to hear it in person because just watching the commercial gives me chills.

A big company spent millions of dollars to tell the story of the farmer and rancher to many people who don't know how the food they eat gets to their table and who grows the cotton to make the clothes on their backs. And, did it while supporting the National FFA Association. 

It is a lifestyle many people don't understand, but one that I have been fortunate to be a part of. Agriculture has been a huge part of my life and has greatly influenced the decisions I have made to get to where I am today and I can only hope to have opportunities in the future to educate children and adults about American agriculture. 

Not only does this commerical tell the story of the hard working farmer, but it reminds everyone that we are doing God's work no matter what we are doing or where we are doing it. Whether it is farming, teaching or writing blogs, we are all placed here to do God's work. (Now, figuring out what that is quite difficult for some and something I have yet to figure out 100% for myself.) 

And, the fact that my Facebook and Twitter feeds were filled with more tweets and post about farming than football, just tells me that I am blessed with awesome friends. 

And on the eight day God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker for this world I have made"; and so,
God Made a Farmer... 
God said, "I need someone ready to get up before dawn and milk the cows,
til the fields, milk the cows again, and then go to town and stay past midnight at the
meeting of the school board";
So God Made a Farmer... 
"I need someone with strong arms, strong enough to wrestle a calf,
but gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild;
Somebody to call the hogs, tame cantankerous machinery,
come home hungry and have to wait for lunch until his wife is done
entertaining visiting ladies, and then tell the ladies "I hope you all come
back real soon", and mean it, and so
So God Made a Farmer...
God said, "I need somebody to sit up all night with a newborn colt and watch it die; then
dry his eyes and say,maybe next year". I need someone to shape and axe handle
from a Persimmon sprout, and shoe a horse with a hunk of tire; make a harness out of haywire,
feedsacks and shoe scraps; who at planting time and harvest will finish his 40
hour week by Tuesday noon, then paining from tractor
back, put in another 72".
So God Made a Farmer... 
God had to have someone to ride the ruts at double speed, to get the hay in ahead of the rain
clouds, and yet stop in mid field to race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor's
place;
So God Made a Farmer... 
God said "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bales, and yet gentle enough
to tame lambs, wean pigs and tend the pink combed pullets; who will stop his mower for an hour
to splint the broken leg of a Meadow Lark;"
So God Made a Farmer.... 
It had to be someone who would plow deep and straight and not cut corners; Somebody to seed
and weed, feed and breed,rake and disk and plow and plant; plow the snow and strain the milk
and replenish the self feeder and finish a hard day's work with a five mile drive to church.
Somebody who would bale a family together with the soft, strong bonds of sharing,who would
laugh and then sigh, and then reply with smiling eyes when his son says he wants to spend his
life doing what dad does!
So God Made a Farmer... 

Hewey the Hamp. Jackpot 2006.

First A.I. Experience. It felt much much different than I thought it would. 

Circa 2006. State FFA Degree.