A Face in the Crowd

And now for the reason I traveled to NYC.

This afternoon at the Food Dialogues (you can view the panel discussions from today online), Chef Danny Boone announced the finalists of the search for the Face of American Farming & Ranching. I am one of nine finalists.

Once again, I’m looking in the mirror saying, “But you’re just a mom. How did you get here?”

The search began in June when farmers and ranchers were asked to submit an application and short video describing their farm and why they wanted to be the Face of farming and ranching. For me this journey started as an FFA member. At one conference, we were asked to write down our short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. I remember writing, as if it was yesterday, “to be the voice of American agriculture.”

Now so many years (it hurts to write the actual number), here I sit in the company of some pretty amazing farmers and ranchers, and with the knowledge that there isn’t one voice or one face that can truly represent our industry.

These past two days have reminded me of something I already knew – farmers and ranchers are just good people. In conversations with the other Faces finalists, I’ve heard the words family, passion and stewardship over and over again.

Believe me, American agriculture is in great hands, and the search for the Face of Farming & Ranching is now in your hands. You can view video profiles of the nine finalists and cast your vote once a day every day until December 15. USFRA will tally the votes, combine those with a score received from a judging panel (we had interviews this afternoon) and make an announcement in January as to who “won”.

Thing is we know that although one or two or three people will be selected as the Face, the responsibility to tell the agriculture story falls on us all, whether your stage is your church, your county, your state or region, We are all Faces of American Farming & Ranching.

Read more 30 Day blogs starting with My Generation. And follow more of my 30 Days of the Not So Glamorous Life of this Farm Wife: