Paper maps, Farmers and National Ag Day

This week, we honored the farmers who go above and beyond to feed and fuel our nation.

From sunrise to sunset, they work the land with a deep commitment to stewardship, efficiency, and innovation—ensuring that future generations can continue to thrive.

Soybean farmers, in particular, are leading the charge in production, sustainability, and economic impact. Thanks to the soy checkoff, every $1 invested returns $12.30 in value—strengthening rural communities, supporting nearly 31,000 jobs, and contributing billions to the U.S. economy.

But National Ag Day isn’t just about statistics and bushels. It’s about people. And for me, it always circles back to the people I’ve met behind the lens.

This week, I was reminded of my first assignment as a photographer for the Iowa Farm Bureau. My understanding of the state’s geography was a little off at the time. As a Northern Iowan, I always joked that the Missouri border started somewhere just below I-80. I quickly realized how wrong I was.

Before heading to Moulton, Iowa, I printed out my directions from MapQuest, fueled up the car, and checked my gear (a Nikon F100). I had a brief call with the farmer I was meeting, and he gave me turn-by-turn directions from town to his place. He said:

“Head south out of Moulton and take the first gravel road east. Follow it as it winds around until you can take the first road south. Go several miles until you see an old corn crib on the east side of the road. Pull into the farm drive—you’ll see a farmer working the ground with green equipment.”

I figured I had maybe a 10 percent chance of finding him (this was before cell phones were widely used). But sure enough, after several hours on the road from Des Moines, I pulled up and found him right where he said he’d be. The directions were flawless. The shoot went great, and just like that, I was heading back to the city with several rolls of slide film and a story in my rearview mirror.

That was the first of thousands of miles I’d log across all the soybean-growing states in the country. From that first portrait to the most recent one, it's always been gratifying to visit with the people growing our food—people who work hard every day, often without recognition or fanfare.

That’s what National Ag Day means to me. Not just the impressive economic contributions or the staggering productivity of American farmers—but the quiet dedication behind it all. The grit. The care. Tradition and progress held together by grit and optimism.

It’s about the people behind the harvest. Behind the food on our tables and the fuel in our tanks.

And I’m grateful every time I get to tell their story.