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“If agriculture goes wrong … nothing else has the chance to go right.”

Those words hit me hard lately. Because it feels like the world around us is going wrong in so many ways — not because of politics or the economy, and not because of farmers or the price of food, but because of how we treat each other. The division, the blaming, the shaming — somewhere along the line, people have forgotten how to care.

We’ve forgotten how to work together to solve problems. Too often, people speak — or type — without even an ounce of understanding about the topics they’re tearing apart and without a trace of compassion for the people living them. The world has become loud with blame and quiet with empathy.

I’ve seen comments online that make me ache — people mocking farmers who are struggling, turning pain into politics, and forgetting that behind every farm, every barn and every field is a person. A family. A story. For many, it’s a legacy.

We recently sold our steers, and I’ll admit, I lost sleep over raising prices. But our customers — our community — reminded me that there is still good in this world. They didn’t complain or criticize. They know the hard work, the value for their dollar.

Because agriculture isn’t just about food — it’s about people. It’s about the ones who show up before the sun, the ones who lend a hand without being asked, the ones who send a text just to check in, who drop off a meal when life gets hard, who take care of each other when no one’s watching. Some days, it’s easy to feel discouraged — to wonder if kindness still matters. But then I look around at the people I’m surrounded by, both personally and professionally — the ones who lead with compassion, who give without expecting anything in return, who make this work, this life, this calling, worth it.

And I’m reminded: it still takes a village. We need each other — farmers, neighbors, friends, families. Rural and urban. Red and blue. We need to get back to being people who see the good before the differences. Because when agriculture thrives, communities thrive. So today, I’m choosing gratitude — for the people who keep showing up. For the ones who choose grace over judgment. For the ones who feed, nurture, and care — not just for the land, but for each other. Maybe the world has gotten a little ugly. But as long as there are people who still believe in kindness, compassion and community — there’s hope.

Submitted by Mandy Orahood, the organization director at Ohio Farm Bureau Federation for Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake and Trumbull counties.

OFBF Mission: Working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities.