America | From the Editor
On July 4, 1776, a total of 56 patriots signed the Declaration of Independence.
Their signatures made a bold statement – that the land they occupied was theirs. It technically wasn’t, yet. Signing their names was the easy part. That binding declaration meant they signed their life on the line to defend the ground they stood on.
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or the hardships of the Revolutionary War, according to the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Two and a half centuries after our founding fathers signed their names at the bottom of that historic document, one fact remains the same: it still means a great deal to own American soil.
While a farmer or rancher may not be required to sacrifice in the same way as the original American patriots, there is one similarity. Signing one’s name on a land title is easy enough. The price paid to keep the land is the rest of the story – and the stakes are higher than ever.
The modern agriculturalist must remain vigilant on all fronts. While the vast majority of us would prefer to simply never leave the ranch, we must do our duty when the freedoms of land ownership and food production are at stake. Let us remember the father of our nation, George Washington, whose passion for ag production at Mount Vernon was matched only by his love of country.
1785, Englishman John Hunter wrote that Washington’s “greatest pride now is, to be thought the first farmer in America. He is quite a Cincinnatus and often works with his men himself: strips off his coat and labors like a common man.”
Washington certainly would have preferred to stay home. Yet, he served 45 years in the military for our young country and eight years as America’s first President before finally returning to his fields and gardens.
Agriculture, Washington said, was ‘the proper source of American wealth and happiness’; and he predicted that Americans would continue to be ‘an agricultural people…for ages to come.'”
He was right, with a caveat. American producers became so efficient at food production that around 2 percent of the population produce food for the other 98%. Though much of the general population has lost touch with the fact, America remains rooted in agriculture and freedom.
At a recent property rights event I attended, one speaker equated beef production to freedom. While this may seem simplistic, it is worth pondering all of the implications this statement contains.
The basic rights to land, livelihood, and growing food for one’s family and nation are rights that shall not be infringed.
Here at Tri-State Livestock News and the Fence Post, our team works hard every day to keep our readers informed and involved regarding the prevalent issues impacting our livelihoods. We are steeped in the industry, just like you, and your trust in us means everything.
We invite you to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding with this special edition, where we tell the stories of veterans, dreamers, doers and builders that make up the fabric of rural America.
Be inspired. Be proud. We look forward to doing our part to ensure another 250 years of American agriculture.
God bless America.
Kaycee Monnens Cortner
