REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- We vote for 4-H officers, junior livestock breed board positions, student council representatives and homecoming court. In some ways, all those elections prepare us for the day when we walk into a polling place and cast a ballot for county, state and national offices.

Do you remember the first time you walked into a polling place to vote?

I can't say that I remember mine. I've done it so many times that the first time has faded from memory. But this year, I had the privilege of watching both of my children have that experience.

I've talked about my children before. Yes, you can vote when you turn 18, but because of college, living out of state and everything else that comes with young adulthood, neither had previously had the opportunity to cast a ballot at our local polling place.

Voting for the first time is a new experience, a privilege and part of being an American. Like a toddler taking those first steps or a teenager getting behind the wheel for the first time, there is something memorable about walking into a polling place and realizing you now have a voice in deciding who will represent you.

Were my kids nervous? Not really. They are confident young adults. But it was interesting to hear them talk about the experience afterward and, even more so, to hear their thoughts the following day as the election results came in.

VOTING WITH AGRICULTURE IN MIND

Both of my children work in production agriculture and have deep roots in Iowa and farming. When they stepped into the voting booth, their decisions were influenced by the life they know and the future they want for agriculture and our farming operation. That's what I hope everyone considers when voting: What matters to your family, your livelihood and your community?

Hearing my children's assessment of the results created another good discussion.

In some ways, it wasn't that different from voting for officers at a 4-H meeting or waiting to hear the results of a school election. We cast our votes, accept the results and figure out what comes next.

For our family, what comes next is continuing to farm and care for our livestock and land to the best of our ability.

I believe it is extremely important for elected officials to understand how farmers and ranchers raise crops and livestock. Yes, agriculture has some bad players, just as every industry does, but they are not representative of the farmers and ranchers I know.

Most of us want to use management practices that conserve the land and protect it for future generations. That includes families such as ours, who have had a farm in the family for more than 150 years, as well as those who are just beginning their careers in agriculture and taking on the responsibility of helping feed the world.

RESPONSIBILITY BEYOND THE BALLOT

And our responsibility doesn't end when we leave the polling place.

As farmers and ranchers, we need to stay involved with our commodity organizations and agricultural groups. We need to be organized and willing to contact the elected officials who represent us. We need to explain what happens on our farms, how policy affects our decisions and why agriculture matters to communities across the country.

Sometimes the people elected will be the candidates we supported. Sometimes they won't be.

Either way, our responsibility remains the same. We continue speaking up for agriculture while doing the work we've always done -- producing the food, fuel and fiber the world depends on.

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

Follow her on social platform X @JennCattleGal

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