Farmers here in Sampson and, really, across the state, have had a rough growing season, especially those whose living is centered around row crops like corn, sweet potatoes and tobacco.

Drought conditions in early summer followed by torrential rains in the last few weeks have provided the tragic one-two punch that those in the business of agriculture always dread, cannot really prepare for and always must gamble on as they plant their crops earlier in the year with the hope — and prayer — that the worst won’t happen.

While this might not be the worst crop season in recent memory, it ranks right up there, and our hearts go out to the men and women who toil the soil, putting in the sweat equity it takes to ensure that there is food on all our tables and corn for the plethora of hog farms in our midst. And that, really, only scratches the surface of the impact farm families have in our community and across the nation.

In an article on the front page of this week’s agriculture section, Cooperative Extension’s Zachary Parker detailed all the issues crop farmers, in particular, were having, pointing out that tobacco was probably hardest hit, with 50 percent loss of the total crop throughout the county likely. That was followed by corn, which, between the drought and then the rains, is showing signs of ear rot and other diseases, if it was even lucky enough not to have perished. The jury, it appears, is still out on any harm that might have been done to the sweet potato crop given that farmers haven’t really been able to get in the fields to assess the damage, all thanks to the rain and then the mud from those rains.

All this reminds us just how fragile farming can be and how resilient our farm families are.

In counties like Sampson, where the economy is strongly tied to agriculture and the success of its farmers, it pays for every resident to understand and appreciate the farm families who live and work among us. While it’s true many children grow up thinking the vegetables and meat on their plates comes directly from the grocery store, it is up to the adults in every room to educate them to the value of the land and how imperative it is to society.

And we all need to have a true understanding of how a bad farming season winds up impacting everyone. It starts with the farmers, themselves. If they lose a crop, or even a portion of a crop, that means less money in their pocket for themselves and their families and that, in turn, equates to fewer dollars spent locally. When that happens, local businesses suffer and usually are forced to raise their prices to make up the losses they are experiencing in fewer sales. And the trickle down effect just continues.

On the other hand, fewer crops also means less of certain items on grocery shelves which, in turn, means a mark-up in their value and a heftier price tag at the checkout.

It’s a vicious cycle but one we should be mindful of if we, God forbid, ever have less than empathy for our farm families, thinking their loss is just that — their loss.

While tragic enough when it is their loss, we should remember that a farmer’s loss winds up being everyone’s loss. And that should make each and every one of us that much more thankful that we have men and women in our midst that, despite the gamble and the uncertainty of raising crops year to year, love the land and want to tend it, growing the fruits, vegetables and grains that we all need to live.

It is our prayer that our farmers are able to salvage more from this year’s crops than first thought, and it is our privilege to be first in line to thank them for the sacrifice, the hard work and the determination to stay the course through the good times and especially the bad.