U.S. farmers celebrate their nation

Jul 03, 2019

America turns 243-years-old on Thursday

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Thursday will be a day of celebration across the United States as the country celebrates its 243^rd Independence Day.

Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 to separate 13 colonies from British rule and eventually form the United States of America.

With that history at top of mind, Farms.com asked U.S. producers what the best part is about being an American farmer.

For Laurie Isely, a cash crop farmer from Palmyra, Mich., being a U.S. producer means having pride in your operation.

“We have freedom to make decisions about what we grow and how we grow it,” she told Farms.com. “We also have a government that values agriculture, and we can all take pride in the fact that we produce safe and healthy food that allows us to feed the world.”

Chris Tallman, a wheat farmer from Brandon, Colo., will be in the midst of wheat harvest during the evening of July 4.

Being an American farmer allows him to take in the nighttime visuals from a unique perspective, he said.

“I love harvesting wheat on July 4 because I get to watch the fireworks from my combine and there’s nothing better than that,” he told Farms.com. “You can see them from 20 miles away.”

For Mike Beard, a corn producer from Frankfort, Ind., farming in the United States means having the autonomy to produce crops as he sees fit.

“I’ve been to other countries and spoken to other farmers,” he told Farms.com. “For as much regulation as we have, there are some other parts of the world that have far more, and farmers can’t grow what they want. Here in the U.S., I can choose to produce the crops I want every year that I farm.”

America’s red, white and blue will be front and center during July 4 celebrations.

While those colors represent freedom, all three producers recognized their freedoms came with a price.

Those who have sacrificed their lives to provide freedom cannot be forgotten, Beard said.

“What we have around us was paid for by others,” he said. “We need to be thankful and cognizant of their sacrifices because, if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the fruits of my labor.”

Farms.com wishes everyone a happy and safe July 4!

DarcyMaulsby/iStock/Getty Images Plus photo

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.