When my kids were young, we used to play &uot;count the cows&uot; to pass time during trips to grandma’s house in Iowa. Counting cows would keep them busy for hours. On some trips, they would count literally hundreds of cows. Sadly, it seems there aren’t as many cows around these days to keep today’s kids busy.

For most Minnesotans, agriculture is simply rows of corn and soybeans along our highways. Most of us take the farms in our state for granted.

We forget that farming has always been a bedrock industry. Indeed, Minnesota’s economy is built on agriculture. We often believe romanticized notions of farming, ignoring the fact that farms are businesses with enormous risks and thin margins. Because of this general ignorance, few understand there are real threats to farming’s long-term viability in our state.

Some argue that farming in Minnesota is fine. In many ways, our farms look vibrant and healthy.

The dairy industry alone employs more Minnesotans than 3M, Target and Northwest Airlines … combined! Each agriculture job creates an additional two jobs in our local communities. The total economic impact of agricultural production and processing in Minnesota is more than $60 billion, generating nearly half a million jobs! Many of our great Minnesota companies and cooperatives, including General Mills, Pillsbury and Land O’ Lakes, grew and prospered because of Minnesota agriculture.

However, many of our hard working farmers are struggling to make ends meet. They simply want to build and sustain a business that can allow them to raise their families and pass the operation on to their children. Since 1985, we have lost two out of every three dairy farms. The number of cows in our state dropped by a staggering 435,000 during that same period.

Many farmers and food processing facilities hesitate to locate in Minnesota because it can be difficult to get permits for building a new facility. Because of red tape, it can take years longer to expand a farming operation in Minnesota than a similar facility in South Dakota. Minnesota is losing out on jobs and investments in areas of our state where we need it the most. Maybe worst of all, fewer and fewer young people are willing to take over their family’s operations and follow their parents into farming.

We also forget about the benefits of agriculture, and particularly animal agriculture, to areas of our state most in need of new investment and more jobs. A strong and growing livestock industry is one of the best forms of value-added production. It can provide rural counties with greater financial security and more jobs. Consider this: each new dairy cow in our region generates nearly $3,000 for the local economy. Livestock farms benefit other farmers, too, as the best market for the crops we grow.

Considering some of the current threats, and the importance of farming to Minnesota’s economy, we must redouble our efforts to ensure that animal agriculture survives. Improving this segment of agriculture will grow our state’s economy, create jobs, and provide critical investment, particularly in our rural areas.

Folks often confuse encouraging animal agriculture with diminishing environmental safeguards. This is wrong. Our farmers abide by the most stringent environmental regulations in the country. Today’s farmers are actually better stewards of the land than the generation before them. They are even taking innovative steps to protect the environment and generate renewable energy.

In order to grow animal agriculture, we must not fall into the traditional trap of big verses small. In dairy, a 50-head dairy herd doesn’t really compete against a 1,000-head herd. They need each other. We hear from milk processors that they need more milk here in Minnesota. In addition, smaller operations like rotational grazers can find greater returns in niche markets. Large and small producers can coexist.

Minnesota’s citizens and our farmers must come together to guarantee the survival of the industry. When public discussions become verbal wars, and emotions replace reasonable consideration, no one wins.

By working together, I’m hopeful moms and dads will be able to pacify their rambunctious children on trips to grandma’s house by having them &uot;count the cows&uot; for generations to come.

(Congressman Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) represents Minnesota’s First District, which includes Albert Lea, in the U.S. House of Representatives.)