By Evan and Ashleigh Jones
Washington cooperative farmer-owners Evan and Ashleigh Jones provided the following insights at the 2022 CHS Annual Meeting. They are members of HighLine Grain Growers, based in Waterville, Wash.
For our family, agriculture is more than just a job — it’s a lifestyle that binds us together.
Whether it’s moving rigs early in the morning before school, hours of Simon Says in the combine or Saturday cheeseburgers around the tractor and drill, agriculture connects us.
We thrive on the excitement of watching the wheat change from a green leaf in the spring to a golden, swaying crop in the August breeze. We embrace the long hours and missed meals and activities, knowing we will have the pleasure of creating something for the greater good.
Like all good things, we know — and we are teaching our children — that we must push forward through the daily challenges and obstacles, using those obstacles to allow ourselves and our operation to grow.
Our goal is to become better stewards of the land, leaving it bountiful for generations to come, since we know agriculture is necessary for survival.
We love this quote attributed to Edward Stewart: “Agriculture was the first occupation of man and, as it embraces the whole earth, it is the foundation of all other industries.”
Our family takes pride in knowing we are playing a small part in this noble endeavor.
