This is an early version of The Farmer's Creed, circa 1915. It is well written, but the life of a farmer has certainly changed since 1915.
The Farmer's Creed
I believe in a permanent agriculture; a soil that will grow richer rather than poorer from year to year.
I believe in 100-bushel corn and in 50-bushel wheat, and I shall not be satisfied with anything less.
I believe that the only good weed is a dead weed, and that a clean farm is as important as a clean conscience.
I believe in the farm boy and in the farm girl, the farmer's best crops, the future's best hope.
I believe in the farm woman and will do all in my power to make her life easier and happier.
I believe in the country school that prepares for country life and a country church that teaches its people to love deeply and live honorably.
I believe in community spirit, a pride in home and neighbors, and I will do my part to make my community the best in the State.
I believe in the farmer, I believe in farm life, I believe in the inspiration of the open country.
I am proud to be a farmer, and I will try earnestly to be worthy of the name.
--By Frank I. Mann.
This is the famous 1975 version, that was originally run as an ad for New Holland machinery. It has been re-used, re-printed, misquoted, and misused ever since. While this does strike a chord with many farmers, it was an ad.
Farmer’s Creed
I believe a man’s greatest possession is his dignity and that no calling bestows this more abundantly than farming.
I believe hard work and honest sweat are the building blocks of a person’s character.
I believe that farming, despite its hardships and disappointments, is the most honest and honorable way a man can spend his days on this earth.
I believe farming nurtures the close family ties that make life rich in ways money can’t buy.
I believe my children are learning values that will last a lifetime and can be learned in no other way.
I believe farming provides education for life and that no other occupation teaches so much about birth, growth, and maturity in such a variety of ways.
I believe many of the best things in life are indeed free: the splendor of a sunrise, the rapture of wide open spaces, and the exhilarating sight of your land greening each spring.
I believe that true happiness comes from watching your crops ripen in the field, your children grow tall in the sun, your whole family feels the pride that springs from their shared experience.
I believe that by my toil I am giving more to the world than I am taking from it; an honor that does not come to all men.
I believe my life will be measured ultimately by what I have done for my fellow man, and by this standard I fear no judgement.
I believe when a man grows old and sums up his days, he should be able to stand tall and feel pride in the life he’s lived.
I believe in farming because it makes all this possible.
This was written for New Holland, 1975, author unknown.
Farmer’s Creed 2008
I believe a man’s greatest possession is his dignity, which is hard to maintain when you earn less than the kid pumping over-priced gas into your rusty pickup, yet know that you feed him.
I believe hard work and honest sweat are the reason farmers have to have a shower before going to town.
I believe that farming, despite its hardships and disappointments, is the most honest and honorable way a man can spend his days on this earth, if farmers would stop polluting rivers, infecting people with e-coli, feeding their livestock hormones and antibiotics, using genetically modified crops, mistreating animals... wait, what happened?
I believe farming nurtures the close family ties that make life rich in ways money can’t buy, which is good because money is out of the question.
I believe my children are learning values that will last a lifetime and can be learned in no other way and that just because their friend has an X-box, it doesn't mean they need one too.
I believe farming provides education for life and that no other occupation teaches so much about birth, growth, and maturity in such a variety of ways, but that doesn't mean you can call your teacher "one nice heifer"'.
I believe many of the best things in life are indeed free: the splendor of a sunrise, the rapture of wide open spaces, and the exhilarating sight of your land greening each spring, and it's a good thing they're free, because the line of credit is full.
I believe that true happiness comes from watching your crops ripen in the field, your children grow tall in the sun, your whole family feels the pride that springs from their shared experience, just don't forget sunscreen. Farmers have a high rate of skin cancer.
I believe that by my toil I am giving more to the world than I am taking from it; an honor that does not come to all men. I also haven't paid taxes in 12 years, so that's good too.
I believe my life will be measured ultimately by what I have done for my fellow man, which is feed them for nothing, and by this standard I fear no judgement other than by the department of the environment or the federal auditors. (see tax thing above)
I believe when a man grows old and sums up his days, he should be able to stand tall and feel pride in the life he’s lived. He should be able to, but he can't because his knees are shot and it's a 24 month wait for surgery.
I believe in farming because it's in my blood so I can't be happy doing anything else.
Mr Greenjeans
(Credits)