It is cold. I really don’t need to tell you that, but it is cold. 

We have hit record lows in Goshen County, Wyoming over the last week which always makes my heart hurt for our producers. 

Most folks around this neck of the woods know exactly what I mean. Schools have later start times, offices close, the streets roll up in some places around here when the temperatures drop below zero, but the cattlemen, cattlewomen, the sheep herders, and the pig farmers...my heart hurts for all of them.

Earlier this week, Torrington, Wyoming was mentioned on the national news for a cold spot with a toasty -45. My car didn’t want to start. Many folks didn’t make it to work for the day because their cars just didn’t...but the American producer...those folks rolled out of bed before the sun came up. 

Many of them chopped ice and fed hungry and cold animals before the sun came up. Many of folks experienced wind speeds faster than the speed limit through town only amplifying the cold. 

Many of them drug dirty, stiff hoses into the house for the next round of watering.  

Wintertime can be dreadful when you’re in the deep freeze and more often than not, we forget about the folk’s putting dinner on our plates. 

We just go to the grocery store and hit up the meat counter for a nice juicy rib eye, but we don’t realize the struggles our American producers face. 

We don’t see their tears because in the wintertime, things are hard. 

We don’t see their chapped faces and wind burnt noses because in the wintertime, things are rough. 

Mother Nature grabs us by the seat of our pants regardless of how prepared we are but please remember to thank a producer for making sure you have food on your table during this cold snap.