Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation North Mississippi Vice President Donald Gant lives for the sound of combines humming across his farm, harvesting the crops he and his family spent the season nurturing.
The sight of harvest always brings Gant relief because he knows the delicate balance a farmer must keep to continue to farm, especially with so many challenges out of their control.
“I guess the main thing is…if you don’t believe in the Lord, you shouldn’t be farming,” Gant says. “We may put the seed in the ground and do what we can to make it grow, but without the Lord, you’re not going to make it.”
Gant uses last summer’s weather event as an example of one of the many uncontrollable factors in the life of a farmer.
“We got more than 20 inches of rain in less than 24 hours last June,” he says. “That made us and a bunch of other farmers have to start over. We didn’t know if we were going to get to harvest our 2,600 acres of soybeans that we did.”
In his 50 years of farming, Gant has seen it all. But, despite the challenges, he knows the decision to become a farmer was the right one.
“I was raised on an 80-acre farm. We had cows, chickens, hogs, and a big garden. That’s what we worked,” he says. “I went to Delta State University for accounting, and even though it came easy, I know I was meant to be a farmer.”
Gant become active in Farm Bureau during the mid-1990s when a local friend and Farm Bureau member asked him to join the Bolivar County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. After becoming active on the county, state and national levels, Gant eventually ran for the position he holds today – North Mississippi Vice President.
In his role, he helps lead Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, striving to make things better for his fellow farmers. He believes creating and developing the Farm Families of Mississippi program is one of his biggest accomplishments as vice president.
“I am proud of all the policy we’ve created while I’ve been in this position,” Gant says. “We try to put out fires before they get too big so other farmers can do what they do best – farm – and not worry about the other stuff.”
Although Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation has afforded Gant the opportunity to serve others, he still takes the most pride in being a farmer who provides commodities that feed the world.
“I take pride in putting out a sustainable agricultural product,” Gant says. “I want to do everything I can to take care of my land and do the right thing by my fellow consumers, so my grandkids have the chance to farm, too.”