Simple, quaint images come to mind for many of us, when many of think of the American farmer.

For some of us Grant Wood’s famous painting, “American Gothic” appears. Its iconic view of a 1930 painter standing with pitchfork in hand beside his wife is the quintessential vision of American farming.

But that image hasn’t been accurate for decades.

Modern farming is rarely just a husband and wife venture. Most farms today — even our local ones — are fairly large, technologically complex operations.

Yet as complex as the American farm has become, farmers are still highly dependant on things out of their control — good weather and stable pricing.

Fortunately, our country has, decades ago, instituted a series of farm programs and subsidies that help to offset bad years so that American farmers can weather a storm of bad weather and low global prices.

While some citizens may feel these programs provide an unfair level of cushion to farmers, the reality is that America depends on farmers to keep our nation self-sustaining when it comes to feeding our people.

Maintaining the profitability and sustainability of America’s farms is critical to our nation’s long-term health.

And, for our community — which depends on farming as a significant industry — those federal guarantees are a critical cog in the wheel of our economy.