November 2021 - 35

AG LABOR REVIEW
Farm community can help lead to better times
MICHAEL MARSH
President & CEO
National Council of
Agricultural Employers
Michael@ncaeonline.org
Indians, joined together to clamber
aboard ships in Boston Harbor and
toss British tea overboard. The Sons,
while diverse in their occupations, were
owners of small businesses, laborers,
attorneys and farmers.
Two and a half years later, on July 4,
I don't know about you, but I am sick
and tired of wearing a face mask. And it's
not just the ribbing I get from my buddies
who tell me they've never seen me look
better. I am just plain tired of it.
I ride the Metro into the office; I wear
a face mask. I get on an airplane; I wear a
facemask. I go to the dry cleaner or to the
grocery store; I must wear a face mask.
But here is a very sobering fact.
COVID-19 has now taken one of every
500 American lives.
I was raised in a small town in rural
America. I knew all the people in our
town. And for most of the time when I
was growing up, we had a population of
437 wonderful souls (even though Mrs.
Richling could get cranky as she didn't care
much for us kids hanging around while
she was butchering her chickens but, dang
what a sight!).
That would mean that in my little
hometown, at least one person would
have died from COVID already. In
1776, another group came together in
Philadelphia to declare our independence.
Americans came together then and need to
come together now.
One of the good things about people
addition to being a sobering fact, it's also
sad. It's sadder still that one death will
likely be followed by another unless we
get this pandemic under control.
Think about it. On 9/11, America lost
2,977 of our fellow citizens. In World
War II, we lost 405,399. During the Civil
War, 618,000 Americans lost their lives.
As of the day I write this, we have lost
667,063 people to this disease. And more
will be lost tomorrow and the day after
and the day after that.
This catastrophe is not happening
in a distant land far removed from our
consciousness. It is happening right here
in the greatest nation on earth!
We are the nation who defeated the
British Empire. We are the nation that
ended the Second World War. We are the
nation that sent astronauts to the moon.
We are the nation that is losing almost
2,000 citizens a day to COVID-19.
However, there is good news. We can
do something about this. We can knock
the tar out of COVID if we pull together
the way we Americans always have.
Together we can get this done.
On Dec. 16, 1773, a small group
of men calling themselves The Sons
of Liberty and disguised as Mohawk
involved in U.S. agriculture is that, in
addition to being the best of the best,
where we lead others follow. I am
confident that if farmers and ranchers pull
together, we can drag our city-dwelling
brethren along. We can knock out COVID
together. But we must come together to
accomplish that goal. Every one of us.
Imagine what America will look like when
we unify in the battle against COVID.
Businesses will boom! People will
go back to work and not have to worry
about getting sick! Kids can go back to
school and remote learning will be in our
rearview mirror! Meetings won't have to
be virtual anymore! We can have holidays
with family once again! We can even go on
vacation!
And all of us, including myself, can
finally get rid of those face masks! VGN
VGN | NOVEMBER 2021 | 35
November 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2021
