Agree to disagree and get along

The farmer arises every morning, most days before the sun has kissed the ground. He fills his dented thermos with a hot black brew, preparing his sore and tired body for another day of production.

On Sundays, he gathers his family in the rusty but dependable pickup truck and heads to town to visit with neighbors and thank God for another successful season and on some years, pray for a little more rain. Families share homemade delicacies, drink Kool-Aid from paper cups and discuss the children’s recent antics.

The farmer with all of his neighbors are in some far corner discussing future crops prices, livestock and looming weather.

This is our great valley and a pretty fair representation of the character that flourishes within its boundaries.

Our community is proud, passionate, empathetic and hard working. There is something to be said about a man’s relationship with the earth. A promise and a hand shake is still something we teach our children and practice daily.

We depend on one another endlessly.

Whether it is mothers sharing the duty of transporting children from one event to another or a neighbor lending his time and equipment to drag your feed truck out from the middle of the field.

This is who we are.

Recent political opinions have caused our community to forget the quality and character of our neighbors and somehow, some way, we need to come back home.

We celebrate with each other and we mourn with each other.

We bring meals, tears and prayers when our neighbors are in need and we bring meals, smiles and laughter when our neighbors have reason to celebrate.

Sometimes for no reason at all we gather if only to share in each other’s company. In our passion for what we believe is wrong or right, we are suffering. Let’s remind ourselves of what is important.

When calves are sick or our homes burn, we as neighbors stand strong for each other.

This, my community, is agriculture. When asked why I live here, this is my answer. This land is beautiful and the people that make up my community are my blessing. A common saying “it takes a village to raise a child” is a heart-felt statement. This is my definition of home.

 Let us be the example set before our children on how to deal with controversy, let your character, respect and kindness for one another reunite what hatred and misunderstanding has torn apart. Together we will bring in another successful season and together we will continue to make Montana the great state in which we will all call home.

(Editor’s note: Our policy is to argue over issues instead of personalities.)