BY REBECCA FRENCH SMITH, Missouri Farm Bureau

It’s hard not to be optimistic in the spring — at least cautiously so. It is always a hopeful time for farmers. Crops are being planted; calving season is in full swing. Life is renewing itself on the farm, and promise is everywhere. But farmers are also a pragmatic lot and mindful of what may come.

Farmers and ranchers plan for the unknown, and when an unexpected issue arises, they’re not the hand-wringing variety. Most farmers are in the problem-solving business, whether it’s an issue that can be solved with a little baling wire and duct tape or whether it’s one that requires education, inspiration and assistance.

Along with a handful of other careers, being a farmer, rancher or other agricultural manager was recently deemed the number one “career in crisis” by Yahoo. It wasn’t particularly “news” to farmers and ranchers. For decades, the number of farmers in the U.S. has declined; farming isn’t easy and its challenges are many. Federal regulations, rising input (seed, fertilizer, machinery, etc.) costs, Mother Nature and more provide opportunities for farmers to put their problem-solving skills to work and their passion to the test.

As struggle is no stranger to agriculture and the population continues to grow, farmers evolve, work smarter and harder alongside a myriad of occupations tied to agriculture, using new technologies and methods to grow food. The efforts of farmers and ranchers support more than 21 million Americans who work in the agriculture industry — veterinarians, seed salespeople, tractor dealership owners, meat processors, agronomists … the list goes on. (In fact, if you’re looking for a job, you might consider something in the agriculture industry. Agcareers.com, one of the largest online job boards saw an increase of 29 percent in job postings in 2013 over 2012.)

The look and feel of the “mom and pop” farm the article mentions has also been affected by the progress farmers have made. Romantic ideas have given way to more efficient, practical and sustainable ways to farm. However, while these farms might look different, might not be what you expect, most are still family farms — more than 97 percent of Missouri farms are.

So it’s an interesting challenge we face, this so-called crisis. Do we wring our hands or do we become problem solvers? Only one of those options is acceptable because we will always need those who grow and raise food.

Rebecca French Smith, of Columbia, Mo., is a multimedia specialist for the Missouri Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization.