This Fourth of July, as fireworks mark America’s 250th year of independence, it’s worth remembering a few of the freedoms we rely on every day: the freedom to put food on the table, fuel in our cars, and clothes on our backs, made possible by U.S. farmers.

Several years back, I visited Washington and toured the World War II Memorial on the National Mall. At the memorial’s entrance, there’s a bronze panel dedicated to farmers, recognizing the vital contributions U.S. farmers made on the home front during the war.

When I saw this panel, I thought of my grandfather, who farmed in Worth County during WWII.

Grandpa wasn’t enlisted during the war, because he was needed on the family farm. His parents were in their 70s and couldn’t provide all the labor required to keep the farm running. Sadly, his only brother had also died a few years earlier, in his early 30s, from cancer.

During the war, my grandpa raised cattle and hogs and grew corn. Many of his hogs ended up at the Hormel meat-packing plant in nearby Austin, Minnesota, which made ready-to-eat SPAM for the troops.

Farmers also raised fatter pigs during the war; the fat was used to make military explosives.

After the U.S. victory in WWII, my grandpa celebrated with his high school friends, who returned from overseas to farm in Worth County. Soon, these farmers quickly adopted innovations, such as mechanized equipment and hybrid corn, to help rebuild Europe and feed a growing U.S. population.

 

Celebrating our food freedom, thanks to U.S. farmers

Today, it’s easy to take our “Freedom from Want,” or our food freedom, for granted.

Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack often talked about the role that farmers play in securing our nation’s food freedom.

“Make no mistake that there’s hardly any other place on earth that has the security of knowing that if all else fails – if the ports shut down, if we hunker down and we’re engaged in some massive conflagration – we’re going to be able to feed ourselves,” Vilsack said.

Of course, many Americans still struggle with food insecurity, and we should all do our part to ensure no one in our country goes hungry.

Yet thanks to U.S. farmers, many of us have more time and peace of mind to pursue the American dream.

My grandpa once showed me a diary that my great-grandmother kept in the early 1900s. She would list how many eggs she collected each day.

I’m so, so thankful that I don’t have to raise my own chickens or grow my own food today.

Thanks to U.S. farmers, I can work in a climate-controlled office with a steady paycheck and health insurance, because farm families take on the risk and effort of milking cows, baling hay, planting crops and caring for livestock.

And it’s thanks to farmers that I have a job at all. If you work in healthcare or law, if you teach in an Iowa school, if you own a small business or work in retail, or if you’re a politician – your job is likely connected in some way to Iowa farmers and the ag economy.

Today, farmers account for fewer than 2% of the U.S. population, but their work and success impact us all.

So when you watch the fireworks or salute the American flag this July 4, please take a moment to thank Iowa farmers for helping sustain what we celebrate as Americans: food on our tables, fuel for our lives, strong rural communities and the freedom to pursue our dreams.

After all, Iowa farm families don’t just help feed America — they help fuel its freedom.