"One Fought, One Farmed"

I am blessed to have two dads --- one who is responsible for my existence and my love of farming, and one who became part of my life 32 years ago when I began dating his son.  Both of these wonderful men were born on farms and grew up in the 20th century.  They watched the transition of agriculture move from equine horse power to mechanical horse power during their youth.  They also found their young adult years impacted by a World War that sent one to the Pacific while the other stayed home with his family and farmed.  As we celebrate our nation’s independence this coming week, I encourage you to join me in reflecting on the sacrifices soldiers and farmers have made throughout the history of our country.

With great pride and appreciation, I reflect on the role my father, Vernon Miller, played in our country’s defense during World War II.  He enlisted in the Marine Corps and was shipped out to Iwo Jima where he survived one of the bloodiest battles in the history of mankind.  While he has always kept most of his wartime memories locked up inside, he has shared some of his battleground experiences with his three grandchildren in recent years.  That is important so they can understand the great sacrifice that soldiers, like their grandpa, made in their lifetimes to keep our country shining as the beacon of freedom around the world.  When my dad returned from the war, he returned to the farm, married my mom, and has been tilling the land for more than half a century on the farm they purchased in Dauphin County.

While my Dad was in the first wave of Marines who crawled up the sandy beeches of Iwo Jima more than sixty years ago, my father-in-law, Charles Miller, and his brothers worked the family farms in Adams County and cared for their young families.  His role in keeping food growing for the country and its soldiers was an important task, too.  Even though many supplies were limited on the farm because they were needed for the war effort, the farmers who stayed behind made the best of it and kept food on the tables at home and across the seas.

As former Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Sam Hayes has pointed out in eloquent speeches I have had the pleasure of listening to over the years, “Our nation’s defense is only as strong as our ability to feed ourselves.”  That message should be on every car’s bumper sticker in the 21^st century.

Too often I hear folks who should know better, since they are considered successful businessmen, make comments that we do not need to save farmland to raise crops here in Pennsylvania, or in this country.  We can always buy food off-shore from foreign countries, they contend.  Are they forgetting about the price of oil these days and what happens when we become too dependent on foreign suppliers?  Further, do they want to risk the health of their children and grandchildren by forcing them to consume food that we have no safety controls on how it’s raised or processed?  And, are we willing to jeopardize our national security by allowing other countries to determine what food is sent to our hungry citizens if there is a shortage or global conflict?

My answer and I hope yours, too, is a resounding “no.”  We need to continue to keep our farms growing and feeding our people and our military men and women who are putting their lives on the line every day so that we can enjoy the benefits of a free democracy.

Our forefathers knew the importance of agriculture to the nation.  Our Commonwealth’s flag bears a plow and shocks of grain on its shield.  The artist who created our state’s flag knew the key role farming played in the history of the Keystone state.  The only other industry depicted on the flag is ship building.  More than two centuries later, Pennsylvania remains a leader in agriculture while ship building is no longer a major economic driver for our state.

This Fourth of July, take a few minutes to reflect on the past and remember to say thank you to our military family, both active and veteran soldiers.  At the same time, say thank you to the members of our farm family who are behind the front lines, feeding the nation and helping to keep it strong.  Just this week, a man stopped by my parents’ farm to say thank you to my dad for serving our country.  That meant a lot to him to know that someone took the time to stop in just to thank him for his patriotic service to our country.  Do you know someone who is serving or has served in the military?  With all we have to be thankful for, take a few minutes to express it to that person who put their life on the line for you and me.  God bless America, keep our soldiers safe, and let freedom ring around the world.

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