Several years ago, a family member living in the city purchased a husky puppy from a reputable breeder. It was a beautiful dog and adored its new owner, and its new owner adored his puppy.

For 102 years, the American Farm Bureau Federation has been The Unified Voice of Agriculture. Our unity is built from the ground up as our grassroots members set the policy priorities we advocate for in Washington.

For the past year I have been convinced we are in the midst of a commodity supercycle. The reason is simple. From last September virtually every commodity has improved dramatically in value.

Most Americans know there are three, unalterable facts of life: death, taxes and farmers howling about “death taxes.”

The calendar has turned to fall, and the weather is slowly following suit. Harvest is underway with combines rolling through fields and semitrailers hauling grain to elevators and on-farm bins. There’s more of those bins and semitrailers now than ever before because there’s more grain.

The colors of autumn are beginning to show as I look across the landscape here in the middle of America. High school football games and FFA contests are regular events. The air smells different with corn and soybean harvest underway. A sweatshirt is needed for early morning chores.

When you hear about what is going on in Washington, you often hear about the battle between political parties or special interests. Sometimes it’s easy to pick a fight with another group. But what’s harder — and often more productive — is working with groups that don’t always agree with you to find common ground.

No matter your profession or background, we all have a shared interest in being good stewards of our natural resources and making more sustainable choices.

A recent, number-laden bulletin posted on the University of Illinois website farmdoc daily caught my attention for two reasons. First, its data, drawn mostly from several U.S. Census of Agriculture, paints a troubling picture of U.S. agriculture today.