Can I tell you a story about my family farm?
In 1910, my grandfather came to Montana. He found a piece of grassy land, took a look at it, and said, “This is the place.” And that’s where the farm began.
He farmed the land until the early 1940s, and then passed it down to my folks. In 1978, my wife Sharla and I took over the farm and we’re still here today, three generations and more than 40 years later.
We’ve made a lot of progress here — Sharla and I built a new home, several steel buildings, and more storage.
The truth is, I love this work. Yes, it makes for early mornings and late nights during planting and harvest seasons — but it also keeps me grounded, and it gives me perspective on the issues we face every day.
When I think about climate change, I’m thinking of folks on farms like mine, struggling with catastrophic droughts or historic levels of flooding. When I think about reforming the USPS, I’m thinking of the people in rural communities across Montana who rely on timely mail delivery for their medication or Social Security checks. And when I think about infrastructure, I’m thinking of the rural towns near mine that need access to affordable, high-speed internet.
These aren’t abstract issues or talking points. They’re very real challenges that deserve real solutions, and that’s what I’m fighting for in Washington. I spend every single day trying to do right by working families, farmers, students, and veterans here in Montana and across the country.
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I’ll leave you with one last truth about farming: Some years you get the right amount of rain, and things work out really well. Other years, you get a whole lot less.
That means it’s important to be prepared for any outcome, and to have a support system by your side when things get difficult. We don’t know what this campaign will look like, or what Republicans will throw our way over these final few months. But with your support, we’ll be ready.
I appreciate anything you’re able to pitch in. Thanks for your help, and I hope I make you proud.
— Jon