In 1985 American agriculture was in a terrible downswing brought on by high interest rates and low dairy prices. I was farming at the time and had purchased a farm in 1981. We lost the farm and our home to bankruptcy. At age 35, with a wife and two small children, I was homeless and jobless. “The Mary Ellen Carter” became my anthem as I tried to rebuild my life. It is truly an inspiration.

—Michael O’Brien