In 1978 at the FFA Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, radio broadcaster Paul Harvey delivered a speech that acted as a sequel to the creation narrative from the Book of Genesis. This speech would almost serve as the unofficial prayer for those who work the land and keep this country fueled, fed, and clothed.
That speech was “So God Made A Farmer.”
Harvey was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on September 4, 1918. He got his first radio gig working for KVOO in 1933. From there he would go on to broadcast from Kansas, Oklahoma City, and St. Louis. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he moved to Hawaii so that he could cover the Navy’s involvement in the war.
His career would see many accomplishments. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, received the Paul White Award, and was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush.
Harvey’s style of broadcasting and storytelling made him stand out the most. One of his most famous segments was titled The Rest of the Story.
However, “So God Made A Farmer” might be his most remembered work. The speech took inspiration from another piece he did three years earlier: “What it is to be a farmer.”
Harvey died in 2009, and four years later the world would hear his words again. Dodge Ram’s Super Bowl XLVII commercial used Harvey’s audio. The ad was actually made in collaboration with the National FFA.
And with the rise in popularity of Instagram and TikTok, Harvey’s words are being heard by another generation.
Related:
The Story of “You Been Farming Long?”
