A nation built by farmers

Tractor with American flag. (Photo Spirit via Shutterstock)

For a quarter of a millennium, Americans – in theory and increasingly in practice – have enjoyed the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and property. Throughout these years, we have weathered countless storms, some of which have threatened our very existence. As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday this year, I am grateful to people who have fought and given the ultimate sacrifice to protect our unique experiment.  

The resounding success of our nation takes a multitude of diverse forms. These include unparalleled religious freedom, a dynamic economy, and a system of constitutional government that remains the envy of the world. One often-overlooked feature also deserves highlighting, however. Without the food security created by our country’s farmers and ranchers, our national security and prosperity would only be a pipe dream instead of the American dream. 

Back in 1776, when the Founders first signed the Declaration of Independence, around 95% of U.S. citizens worked directly in agricultural pursuits. As you might expect, such work was cherished: In a letter to John Jay, Thomas Jefferson wrote that “Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens.” Though Jefferson’s “cultivators” were mostly laborers, sharecroppers, or small subsistence farmers, he and America’s other early leaders held them in high esteem. The average farmer fed one to five people, including their own family.  

For most farmers, this meant long days struggling to survive, with little time for formal education or creative endeavors. 

Early farmwork was done by hand, assisted by beasts of burden. In 1784, George Washington, an early agricultural innovator, was given a prized male donkey by King Charles III of Spain. Washington bred the donkey to female horses to produce mules, which were rare at the time but were valued for their size and stamina. Washington’s efforts, which developed into a successful large-scale breeding operation, earned him the title “Father of the American Mule,” and these animals would dominate U.S. agricultural production for the next hundred years.  

Today, most Americans are at least three generations removed from the farm, meaning their grandparents or great-grandparents were the last generation with direct farm experience. Only about 2% of the population now works in agriculture, but each U.S. farmer feeds an average of 169 people.  

The gargantuan advances in quality of life Americans have enjoyed over the last 250 years would not have been possible without agriculturalists. The fact that 98% of our population has been released from the burden required to raise food themselves has meant they have more time to work and innovate in other fields. This freedom has led to mind-boggling creativity. Beginning in the late 18th century, industrialization involving factory systems, interchangeable parts, and assembly lines allowed for mass production. Communication advances produced the telegraph and the telephone. The mid-20th century witnessed revolutionary innovations in electronics and computing, space exploration, defense systems, and medicine, including antibiotics and vaccines. In the last 40 years, we have seen an explosion in connectivity and biotechnology. And today, new developments in artificial intelligence happen almost daily. 

Modern farming has kept pace. Today, tractors and other complex agricultural machines are controlled by satellite technology. Precision agricultural practices utilizing GPS, sensors, AI, and drones have led to decreased water usage and the more efficient and responsible application of fertilizer and pesticides.

Mules plowing the ground on June 12, 2022. (Charles G. Rehm / Shutterstock)

In my almost 50 years as a rancher and cattle veterinarian, I have utilized many of these new technologies myself. These include ultrasound technology for reproduction; novel products for disease control and prevention; drones for checking fences, water sources, and cattle location; genomic information that allows much more sophisticated cattle breeding decisions; and improved tools to measure weight and other measures of productivity. 

These days, 95% of U.S. farms are privately owned, and most remain small, family-run operations. Cattle, sheep, and goats spend much of their lives grazing, primarily on land that is unsuitable for other concentrated agricultural uses. Progression in grazing-management practices has contributed to better carbon sequestration and other positive environmental impacts. While new technologies tend to get the most attention, careful attention to animal care and land stewardship by farmers remain essential components of modern agriculture. Low-stress stockmanship, regenerative agriculture practices, and ever-increasing efforts to improve livestock comfort are not only more humane, but often increase productivity. 

For almost as long as America has been a country, some naysayers have warned that we face impending doom from overpopulation and decreased food resources. As early as the late 1700s, Thomas Malthus predicted that exponential population growth would lead to mass starvation. Paul Ehrilch famously predicted something similar in his 1968 book, The Population Bomb.  

What these dire predictions lacked was an appreciation for Americans’ intellectual creativity and tenacity. Centuries of innovations in modern agriculture have produced once unimaginable human flourishing, while also improving our treatment of animals and our environment.  

As I reflect on the lifelong opportunities afforded to me as a U.S. citizen and a proud Texan, I am grateful for those who have blazed the trail for the last 250 years. If we keep working hard, acknowledge our Creator, and keep pushing to innovate, another quarter millennium of continued progress and prosperity awaits.