By John Crabtree, Center for Rural Affairs
(Nov. 2013) On Nov. 28, the nation honors the bounty of autumn. This is a special holiday for the Center for Rural Affairs, when the nation celebrates the season of harvest, and we celebrate the opportunity to be in service to rural and small town America.
We’re thankful for the opportunity to fight for a better farm bill that creates opportunities for a new generation of family farmers and ranchers, creates opportunities for entrepreneurs on farms, ranches and small town mainstreets, and makes long-term investments in rural America through conservation and the fostering of an energy future more focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
We’re also thankful for the opportunity to work directly with people who live in rural America. We’ve been blessed to work with hundreds of military veterans and other young men and women who are looking for a chance to get started in farming or ranching and with thousands of entrepreneurs seeking to start up small businesses in our small towns.
And we can never forget the tens of thousands of mostly rural and small town Americans, but many urban friends as well, who have worked with us over the last 40 years to create and sustain a voice for rural people, rural places and the small town way of life.
We give thanks for all of rural America, from Lyons, Nebraska to the Florida Keys, from Caribou, Maine and Deming, New Mexico to Lynden, Washington and Purvis, Mississippi… and every small town in between.