The end of the year is a great time to pull your loved ones close and reiterate just how thankful you are for various things in your life. Whether you’re thankful for your friends, family, or the roof over your head, there is one thing to be reminded of, and although Americans should be thankful year round for the agricultural industry, there are many reasons that you should thank a farmer this holiday season.

The agricultural industry is a hard working industry, but farmers really put in the hours. There is no such thing as a “day off” for farmers. No matter the weather, the work has to be completed, and if it’s not, many people are affected, considering that the average farmer feeds up to 155 people. So while you’re bundled up inside this holiday season, be thankful for those who are out in the cold, working hard to provide for their families and their communities. They’re providing materials used in the clothes you wear around the holidays, the house you celebrate in, and the food you eat during the holidays. To put it into perspective, around the holidays, 22 million turkeys are sold from turkey farms and 30 million trees are cut down and sold in the United States. Both of these extremely popular holiday products are produced at the hands of farmers, and without the hard work these individuals put in, these holiday favorites would be a lot harder to come by. The world population is expected to grow from 7 billion to 9 billion by 2050, and at this rate, farmers will need to double production to keep up with the demand, especially at popular times, like the holidays.

While it’s extremely important for everyone to understand the value of the products produced by farmers, it’s also important to understand how much work the farmer puts in in comparison to what they get in return. For every $1.00 spent on food, the average farmer only receives $0.12 back, and that’s if they work for a large scale farm. 97% of farms in the United States are family owned and operated, meaning that many farms are working for their own family, rather than for a paycheck. The farmers that work for family farms are still providing for people, both inside their families, their communities, and sometimes reaching even farther, to provide for more people. They put in immeasurable amounts of effort for a small incentive. Although they may not be physically paid in cash for what they do, a simple “thank you” means the world to anyone who dedicates so much of their time to benefit others.

A farmer’s job is time-consuming, far from easy, and one that is so vital to survival, that it deserves all the recognition in the world. Especially around the holidays, when everyone wants a break from reality, farmers are still hard at work. They work so the world can eat, and with no farms, there’s no food. So please, remember to thank a farmer this holiday season.