To the editor:

As we approach this Thanksgiving season, American agriculture continues to provide food and nourishment for every family in the USA and to export more than 30% of what is produced in excess of our needs. This is truly a blessing that God has allowed us to enjoy as we work every day as stewards of His domain.

We indeed have faced challenges this year. We have seen the price of energy cause agricultural production costs to double and triple in some cases.  While farmers often get the blame for high food prices, the American consumer must remember that the farmer’s take of the food dollar is approximately 20 cents out of every dollar. This certainly doesn’t translate to the higher food costs we have experienced this year.

As we pause at our Thanksgiving tables to thank our Creator for the abundant food we enjoy, let each of us remember that it was through the efforts of an individual who worked long hours in extreme temperatures that this food was made available to us.  Let’s remember that, as Americans, we have the safest, most abundant food of any consumer group in the world.  Let’s also remember that it is agriculture that is able to export over $100 million worth of products each year, which significantly reduces the foreign trade deficit our country experiences.

While we do face numerous challenges in our economy and in the capitalistic form of government we have all come to enjoy, let us never compromise those principles that cause our farms to be such an important factor in our economy and national sovereignty. While we remain dependent on foreign governments for our energy needs, certainly let’s never allow our public policy to deteriorate to the point that we are dependent on other nations for our food supply.

As we thank our Creator for the abundance we enjoy at this Thanksgiving time, may we also say a special prayer for every farmer who produces in such abundance that we are able to enjoy his bounty on this Thanksgiving Day.

— David Waide

President

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation