While working cattle on the open pastures across the nation, you may have a friendly reminder on what this country was built on. As cattle producers, you have a connection to this country that those not involved in agriculture cannot relate to. 

It is an independence that most do not talk about anymore. It is the kind that comes from earning your way while tending to the land, and knowing your future is tied to the soil beneath your boots. 

Each day brings uncertainty for cattle producers — markets shift, weather patterns change, but the land stays honest. There are no handout favors or promises. 

The land rewards good management, patience and willingness to work with uncertainties. The land we stand on today is the same land generations before us built their lives upon. 

It teaches us lessons that are worth remembering. It teaches us to be grateful for the life we live everyday as a producer. 

It reminds us that freedom isn’t a word we celebrate on July 4th, but it is something lived every day in the form of decision-making, stewardship and resilience. 

Our nation was built on the pursuit of independence — the right to shape our own future. Cattlemen and cattlewomen understand this better than the masses. You have the independence to create your own path with each decision you make.  

We have the duty to leave this land and country better for the next generation than what was left for us. As cattle producers, we are natural land managers. Managing pastures, grasslands, water systems and soil profiles are what make this country’s landscapes so beautiful, and cattle producers are a big contributor to this. 

This Independence Day, while fireworks light up the sky, remember the quiet work that is done on your operation is its own kind of patriotic act. There is a small, steady promise that we will keep this country strong and independent for those who follow in the decisions made every day on cattle operations.