American producers share what they’re thankful for this Thanksgiving

Nov 22, 2017

Some are thankful for what a career in agriculture has afforded them

By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com

People from coast to coast will spend time with family and friends during Thanksgiving celebrations this weekend.

Before carving into a turkey surrounded by delicious sides (all produced by farmers, by the way), many will take a moment to give thanks to whatever, or whomever, has helped make 2017 a successful year.

So Farms.com reached out to members of the American ag community to find out what they’re thankful for this year.

Some farmers are thankful for their career choice because of the opportunities it affords them.

“I’m thankful for the blessing of agriculture in general,” Maury Cox, executive director of the Kentucky Dairy Development Board, told Farms.com today. “Agriculture has allowed me to provide for my family. I’ve been a dairy farmer and I’m particularly appreciative of all dairy farmers.”

Some members of the ag community are thankful for the opportunities agriculture provides to its neighbors.

“We’re really thankful for the new (pork) processing facility that’s been completed in Coldwater,” said Mary Kelpinski, CEO of the Michigan Pork Producers Association. “It’s the first large pork processing plant we’ve had in Michigan since 1998. It will create jobs in the community and help the entire pork industry.”

Aside from the agricultural items to be thankful for, producers are also appreciative of the support system they have around them.

“For me, Thanksgiving is all about family,” Phil Trowbridge, vice president of the New York Beef Producers Association, told Farms.com today. “We’re thankful that everyone is healthy and that everyone will be together over the weekend.”

Since producers can’t control the weather or commodity markets, giving thanks for family is a good way to ensure everyone has a happy Thanksgiving, says Pam Haley, a board member from the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association.

“There’s a lot of things farmers can’t control,” she said. “But as long as everyone is happy and healthy, that’s really all you need.”

Share your comments about what you’re thankful for this year.

And Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at Farms.com!

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.