Did you know the late Rev. Billy Graham was raised on a farm?

His Christian roots were established on the family farm outside of Charlotte, N.C. According to North Carolina Field & Family’s Jan. 7, 2011, issue, Graham said, “For a child of the Roaring ’20s who reached adolescence in the Depression of the early ’30s, rural life probably offered the best of all worlds. As Scottish Presbyterians … we believed in strict observance of moral values.”

The Graham family lived off their nearly 200 acres when the economy nose-dived after the 1929 stock market crash. Their operation included raising feed to support a 70-head dairy herd.

Graham remembered, “We got up in the mornings around 3 a.m. and went out to the barns to bring the cows in and milk them. In high school, I milked about 20 cows every morning and about 20 in the afternoon when I got home.”

His deep farming roots and grounding in the Lord by his family and local church laid the foundation for nearly 60 years of worldwide ministry of sharing the gospel.

What grounds you? Our Hereford friends Bill and Joni Doig have the moniker “Faith, freedom and farm” on their social media. It represents their daily priorities of seeking the Lord with their farming operation, raising their young children and championing their love of their country.

The legacy of Billy Graham built firm faith foundations in America and countries around the world. The Doigs make a difference around the U.S. as they attend national cattle shows. We are called to ground ourselves in what matters most.