When you see the cute fluffy calf in the pasture you drive by, I see long hours and hard decisions. What bull do I buy to improve my herd? Early mornings and late nights checking cows for new calves.

Do I follow public trends on how to raise my cattle or follow the way I know will be best for my animals I spend sunrise to sundown with?

When you see an old man with dirty hands, grungy clothes, and jean coveralls, I see wisdom beyond the eye. Hard work over long years. Hands that are strong enough to build a fence in a day but soft enough to hold his grandkids and bottle feed a calf whose mother didn't make it.

Agriculture is much more than the above statements. But my point is that no part of agriculture, the people, animals, plants and everything behind the scenes are much more than the surface appearance. There's a substance to every tractor, field, pasture, and person that is part of agriculture.

Less than 2% of our population works in production agriculture but the public is very quick to judge how they do their jobs. It's an important job don't get me wrong. But we in agriculture are people just like you. We work long hours and love every minute of it. It's a passion we have to get up and the morning and not quit till we can't go anymore.

Sun up to sundown we put our sweat, tears, and entirety into our work. Our animals, crops, and business are what not only puts food on the table and clothes on the backs of every person we don't know but also provides for our loved ones. It's the way we feed our kids, put them through school and teach them the important things in life.

Before you criticize someone I ask you to look further than the surface. We are all humans. Mistakes happen in every field and industry. Bad cops, doctors, business people, actors, sports players, but that doesn't make any of those industries bad as a whole. That's the same with ag. So when you're curious just ask an agriculturalist. We'd love to tell you our story and what we know. But I ask you to please don't judge us or blame us.

Agriculture is much more than you know. Past that surface, there is a farmer that loves his family, his farm, and every ounce of hard work he does.