How Does Our Nation Lead the Way?

There’s a little boy, out in the front yard with a beat-up toy truck, filling the back end full of dirt, only to dump it all out and start over again. Pretty soon that little boy is a teenager, and he finds himself trying to rock that old Ford out of some rut, thinking he may have underestimated how much it rained last night. In the blink of an eye, he’s a newlywed, breaking ground on a two-bedroom, white-picket-fence dream. He’s ready to plant some roots. Well, now that little boy is an old man, and in his two hands, you can see years of hard work and sacrifice. Every blemish is its own story. Those hands are strong enough to plow and plant, and sweat and bleed, yet gentle enough to raise a family.

That is the story of farmers and ranchers all across the country. That is the story of generations of my family, the reality for many of my fellow rural Midwesterners, and a great source of pride. That cannot be the end of the story, though. The world population is ever-growing, and those old men cannot plow and plant forever. Now is the time for my generation to step up and step in because agriculture is more critical than ever.

Agriculture is a science. Like any science, it is continuously changing. It is no longer just eighty acres and a dream. It is precision ag, genetically modified organisms, cover crops, no-till techniques, innovative pesticides, and more! Innovations in technology, transportation, architecture, and even medicine mean nothing when people are dying of starvation. The global population growth is not slowing down, and I am not exaggerating when I say being able to feed that population is paramount in sustaining life on Earth. The Midwest, the United States, and the entire globe must realize the importance of modern agriculture.

With that said, I am infinitely proud of the life my family has been able to build through the generations. I am proud of a farmer that will spend several months and thousands of dollars cultivating the ground, planting his crop, and watching it grow, only to have it blown away in a storm a few weeks before harvest. I am proud of a rancher that will be up multiple times in the night during calving season to check on his cows but still shed a tear watching a mama cow lay beside its stillborn calf. Most of all, though, I am proud that one day, I will be able to combine the traditions of my family with the needs of the world. That, indeed, is something beautiful.

The national written essay winner, Grace Brose from Box Elder, South Dakota, receives a $1,000 prize and travel to Washington, D.C., for recognition at the National Press Club on March 14, 2019. During this event, she will have the opportunity to read the winning essay and will join other youth for a panel discussion on issues and challenges in agriculture. The contests also named two merit winners who receive $100 and blog posts featuring their essays. They are Brody Allen Snook of Marseilles, IL and Emily Li of Sugar Land, TX. This year’s Video essay winner, Jacob Kandell of Mason, Ohio, wins a $1,000 prize. Both entries can be viewed online at https://www.agday.org/2019-contest-winners.