Rural Issues: A season full of new beginnings

I love living in a part of the country where we get four seasons every year. However, I would be willing to trade in a few of the colder days of winter for some extra days in spring, the season of new beginnings.

One might say we are in a season of new beginnings as a country, as a new president and his administration take the reins and begin fulfilling campaign promises.

His landslide victory — 312 of 538 electoral votes — emphasizes that Americans are ready for a change, and true to his word, President Donald Trump began making changes shortly after taking the oath of office.

I am hopeful we, as a citizenry, along with those who represent us on Capitol Hill, will work a little harder to find common ground and focus on building back instead of knocking down.

I look forward to commonsense regulations and tax and energy policies that bring back stronger economies in our rural communities.

Whether you were for President Trump or against him — there certainly did not seem to be much gray area in the middle — and you believe we live in the greatest country on the planet, you might need to call your congressperson from time to time.

Make sure the one who speaks for you in Washington is not caught up in partisan politics, but is instead focused on policy.

Whether you were for President Trump or against him and you pledge allegiance to our American flag, now would be a good time to embrace the truth that our differences make us better. They make us stronger.

We can all learn from watching others and talking about why we do what we do the way we do it, but every farm and every herd and every family is different.

We all need to do a better job of respecting and appreciating not only that which makes us same, but also that which makes us different.

I think back to the many opportunities this career as an ag journalist has allowed me to travel with farmers from the United States to visit their brethren on farms in Brazil, South Africa, China, Germany, Australia and other countries.

The crop, equipment, breed or species of livestock and management style made no difference to the visitors or the visited. The kinship of those who like to grow things is silent and powerful and draws people together like metal to magnet.

I believe there is a sameness at the core of every true farmer. I have to think there is a sameness at the core of every American.

Talk a little less and listen a little more. You will often find that you ultimately want many of the same things, even if you have differing opinions on just exactly how you are going to get there.

Four years might feel like forever or a blip on the screen of history. No matter how you measure the time, I hope that being an American is more important to you than your standing as a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, member of the Green Party or an Independent.