On the front line of our war with COVID-19, countless people are helping in the battle. Doctors, nurses, technicians, and other medical staff are sacrificing daily to help us fight this and other diseases. In addition, members of our police, emergency and fire departments along with first responders are working diligently to keep our country safe during a time of great turmoil.

 Our military also remains steady in the face of this uncertainty. Along the way nursing home teams, custodial staff, maintenance teams, dock workers, truck drivers, delivery people, and restaurant workers go to work, despite the risks. This list only scratches the surface of professions that punch a clock every day and keep our country moving forward.

 But too often overlooked, and on the front line of our world’s food supply chain, is the farmer. These men and women are a constant, working year after year in times of feast and famine, and whether facing sunshine or flood.

 The farmer cannot and will not stop. Even while our world faces a pandemic, fields are being prepared and crops are being planted. Because farming is an industry that must go on. The world and so many lives depend on it.

So today, I just want to thank everyone for their sacrifices in the face of uncertainty. And I want to especially thank our farmers. Their days and seasons are long. Living under the constant threat of drought, floods, disease, pest pressure and shrinking margins can be daunting. But their commitment remains strong and their calling is noble. 

So, for everyone around the world, I want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart. While the number of farmer’s continues to dwindle, their impact will only increase.