Happy Ag Day!

At these times it seems out of place to say happy anything. But today is National Ag Day, and there is a lot to celebrate. We may be living in much different times, as our government and health leaders have been telling us the best ways to "flatten the curve" of COVID-19 spread: Stay home, keep your distance and wash your hands.

Hog producers have long been flattening the curve in efforts to keep their herd and the U.S. swine population free from various pathogens and viruses. Herd isolation and biosecurity are methods practiced or at least attempted on U.S. pig farms. So, expanding these practices to their family life is nothing new.

Even without the government declaration that agriculture and food production are critical and essential industries, the U.S. farmer and hog producer would continue doing what they do best, producing safe, wholesome, nutritious food for domestic and foreign consumers. Caring for animals come first for livestock farmers, but caring for the farm employees is a close second.

Though we have been told to separate (stay at home) during these times, we all need to pull together for the greater good to help us get through the COVID-19 crisis.

Though National Ag Day festivities that would normally take place today in our nation's capitol and around the country have been canceled, it is business as usual in America's barns and feedlots.

Take care of yourself and families, and take care of your animals, which will result in you taking care of your country. Thank you American farmers.

Happy Ag Day!