By Jessica Domel

Are highly-paid actors and actresses more important than the men and women who dedicate their lives to growing the food that nourishes our bodies and feeds our families?

I don’t think so.

But for some reason, my Twitter timeline Sunday and Monday were consumed by photos, updates and snarky quips about the Oscars.

Thousands of Tweets were sent that evening.

Granted, some really entertaining things happened at the Oscars, but why do Tweets about John Travolta being awkward and a man in his underpants gain hundreds of retweets while posts about real things happening to real people garner one, two, or even worse, none?

We all need a short break from reality from time to time. But I think we should also recognize the hard work and sacrifice thousands of Americans make every day so we can have fresh, affordable and delicious foods to choose from when we enter the grocery store.

So in lieu of The Oscars, I give you, The Farmies:

• The Farmie for “Best Farmer/Rancher” goes to the man who dons multiple layers of clothes and trudges through the wind, the rain and the sleet to feed his livestock every day.

I had to trudge through an icy parking lot this week and complained for 10 minutes. A tip of the hat to you, my friend.

• The Farmie for “Hardest Decision” goes to the man/woman who frets for days over which crop to plant, knowing that commodity prices are low, and then prays every day for enough rain that it grows.

I can’t even keep my potted plants alive. I don’t know how y’all do it.

• The Farmie for “Best Supporting Role” would definitely go to the hardworking farm dog who starts the day at 4 a.m. corraling cattle and ends it asleep at the foot of her farmer’s bed.

Nothing quite matches the love a farmer has for his faithful canine companion.

• The Farmie for “Best Shotgun Rider” goes to the kid or wife or husband who can hop out of the truck, open a gate, swing it closed and then hop back in the truck before you can take a sip of coffee.

It’s a hard job, but those extra few minutes saved driving through gates mean the difference between a 1 p.m. lunch and a 2:30 p.m. lunch. Or a lunch at all. Can’t handle it? Hop in back, my friend.

Those are just four of the awards I’d love to give out. What honors do you think farmers, ranchers and dairymen should earn?

Remember: No tux or ball gown required.