So God Made a Farmer

I realize by this point everyone and their mother has already blogged about the greatest Super Bowl commercial of all time, but I can't help it, I have to share. If you haven't seen it, here's the video...



The hubs and I were just hanging out on the couch, watching the game when this came on. Our home was silent, as I expect many around the country were for those two minutes. Afterwards we just looked at each other, and were speechless. After I got over the initial shock, I turned to twitter and Facebook and saw that the rest of the farming world was just as impressed as I was.

Paul Harvey's voice alone is enough to send chills down my spine. His voice takes me back in time, to events as clear as yesterday, even though they were well over 10 years ago. I remember listening to Paul Harvey in my grandpa's car, time after time. Whether he was driving somewhere, or sitting in his car in the grocery store parking lot where he took his lunch breaks, if Paul Harvey was on the radio, he was listening to it. I used to catch his show occasionally after I started driving myself and I always turned the volume up and let the memories take me back. My grandpa passed away last summer, but I know that that man - who could have easily lived without televisions and cell phones - would have loved that commercial.

While the voice and the still pictures were breathtaking, I think it was the message that really did it for me. In two minutes and a handful of well written lines, almost every type of farmer was recognized, and we were all joined together as one. Dairy farmers, crop farmers, pig farmers, sheep farmers, chicken farmers, ranchers, cowboys - he mentioned us all. We are all different, but that commercial last night proved that we are more so all the same. Neighbors, fathers, community members - caring, hardworking people.

I don't think I'm alone in feeling like that commercial last night offered a beacon of hope. A positive light reflected on our industry and community, that was viewed by at least half the country. A reminder, that sometimes words really can make a difference. Anyone who blogs about agriculture will agree, it's not always easy. Sometimes it's hard to find the words to explain our hearts and our lives, and more times than not when we do finally find those words we're criticized and put down for our chosen lifestyle. But last night I slept a little sounder, went to bed with a lighter heart because I felt like, finally, we're not alone in this. Our message is getting out, and people are listening. Maybe we'll make a difference after all.

So God Made a Farmer.