On this 4th of July, we celebrate our freedom. On the farm, we also celebrate our freedom to produce a quality crop for consumers around the world. This 4th is not a day of rest for many farmers as they are harvesting that beautiful golden crop of wheat. Other farmers are baling the wheat stubble into straw bales. So, it not necessarily a holiday off from work. Rather, it is a holiday celebrating the hard work of planting and caring for a crop and seeing it through to harvest. We will pause this evening like so many others to enjoy some local fireworks. And, tomorrow we will start again as the harvest continues. Gazing out over the amber waves blowing in a hot July breeze looks very much like waves of the ocean. The flow of the grain into the combine header seems never ending. Both are mesmerizing sights. Harvesting a field such as this provides such a sense of accomplishment as one looks back over the day’s work. God bless our farmers in this land we are blessed to call home.