I was driving down the road in rural Nebraska when I passed a sign lit up by white Christmas lights that proclaimed in bold letters, “EAT MORE BEEF.” As a vegetarian of 4+ years, an environmental scientist by training and a current resident of San Francisco, California I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. Consider the juxtaposition of going from a city with thousands of self proclaimed foodies and countless vegan and vegetarian restaurants to rural Nebraska, where “The Beef State” was proudly emboldened on the Nebraska license plate for many years.

If you were to poll both the average San Franciscans’ and Nebraskans’ knowledge of our food system and where our food really comes from, I can almost guarantee that the Corn Huskers would win. On the whole, the Nebraskan population would likely have a more holistic understanding of our food system and how the majority of our food reaches our plate. While I applaud the growing number of consumers interested in understanding the food chain; because of the polarity in our food system and the fact that much of the learning takes place in an urban setting, the real story of food doesn’t always reach the plates of the urban consumer.

While we have a lot to learn from books written by authors like Michael Pollan, articles by Mark Bittman, and food documentaries on Netflix, we have an equally important responsibility to learn from the farmers that are growing our food day in and day out. If we truly want to understand our agriculture system and what it means to eat food that is good for our health and for the planet then we must also seek out a greater understanding of the livelihoods of rural producers all across the United States (and the world). Most urbanites would likely be surprised by the statistic that 97% of farms in the United States are still run by families.

These farms are on land that is often cultivated with the goal of continuing to pass down the land to future generations. The majority of America’s producers are up from dawn to dusk: calving, seeding, harvesting, fixing the tractor and tending to the never-ending list of tasks on the homestead. Our rural communities are at the heart of where this Nation’s food comes from. These farming communities and their way of life allow many of us the luxury of exploring our own passions and past times, while still being able to go to the grocery store to put food on the table at the end of the day.

Now I will be the first to admit that there is a lot that is broken in our food and agriculture system. No, I do not believe that a large portion of our cropland should go towards producing feed for animals rather than human consumption. And yes, I will continue to chuckle and shake my head at the motto “Eat More Beef.” But I will admit a deep respect for these communities that come together with a common passion and purpose of working the land, and growing food to feed the world.

I am writing this post in full awareness that many of these communities in “fly over states” seem inaccessible to many Americans. But I want to comment on the beauty of small towns and rural farming communities. These are places where the majority of the country do not get the pleasure to visit. There are strange attractions, like A Petrified Wood Museum or a statue of The Jolly Green Giant at random exits off of the highway. There are numerous bingo joints, small mom and pop shops, and delicious hole in the wall restaurants. Yet most importantly, there are communities that look out for each other, band together in times of need, and share a pride in their rural livelihood. So I encourage you, in your exploration of what’s on your plate, to think about the farmer that helped grow that food and send up a silent “Thank You” to all of the farmers in this Nation and around the world.

And as an end note, to my pleasant surprise the Open Range Grill outside of Ogallala, Nebraska had a “De-Calf-Inated Burger” on the menu which consisted of a veggie patty, guacamole, and a side salad. See, there is a little bit for everyone in everyplace.