Young Farmer and Rancher Update
Susan Wilkins, YF&R Vice-chair
It is hard to believe
that autumn really is here
and Thanksgiving is upon
us. It makes me sad that
Thanksgiving is almost like a
forgotten holiday anymore. As
soon as September gets here,
the Halloween decorations
hit the stores. And before the trick-or-treaters
even arrive, the Christmas goodies are out.
Thanksgiving, though, is one of my favorite
times of year.
When sitting down for
Thanksgiving dinner,
there is so much to
be thankful for. By
Thanksgiving, our corn
has been chopped and
all of the hay has been
baled, ensuring that our
livestock will be fed
well during the coming
winter months. By
Thanksgiving, the last
of our cows and calves
have been hauled
home from the pasture
in the “mountains.”
The surprise winter
snow that might have
rushed us in getting
the cattle out is now
just a memory. The
cellar shelves will be full of the produce that
was canned from the garden and the deep freezer
equally full of the beef that we had butchered over
the summer. The woodshed will be (almost) full
of cut wood to keep us warm.
But more than anything, I am so thankful that
I was born into this farm life. I am extremely
proud of the fact that I am a fourth generation
farmer; and I am thankful that a farming heritage
is something that I inherited from not just one
12 West Virginia Farm Bureau News
parent, but from two. I am so grateful that
my parents have always encouraged me to be
involved with the farm. Growing up, it might
have sometimes been by force, but I can’t imagine
having been raised anywhere else.
As farmers, it seems like we see more than
our fair share of struggles and challenges, but
God has given us all so much to be thankful for.
Sometimes, we just have to slow down a little
to see His many blessings. So, as you sit down
to roasted turkey and pumpkin pie, take a
moment
to think of all the
wonderful ways God has blessed you and your
farm.
As Psalm 95:2-3 says, “Let us come before His
presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful
noise unto Him with psalms. For the LORD is the
great God, and the great King above all gods.”
Have a truly blessed Thanksgiving!