Labor Day is meant to recognize the people whose work keeps this country moving. For those of us in agriculture, that means recognizing a workforce that often doesn’t punch a clock, doesn’t stop when the weather turns bad and doesn’t always get the attention it deserves.

It means farmers and ranchers, certainly, but also the mechanics keeping equipment running, truck drivers hauling grain and livestock, people working at equipment dealerships, crews at elevators and co-ops, custom operators, agronomists, veterinarians, welders, seed dealers, auctioneers and countless others whose work supports American agriculture. Much of that work happens far from where most Americans ever see it.

For many rural families, that work has been happening for generations. The same ground may have been worked by grandparents and great-grandparents, while dealerships, farms and small businesses have passed from one generation to the next. The equipment has changed, the technology has advanced and the economics have become more complicated, but the expectation remains much the same: get up and do what needs to be done.

That isn’t always easy. Input costs remain high, equipment is expensive and margins can be painfully thin. A year of hard work doesn’t guarantee a profitable year, and weather, commodity markets, interest rates and countless other factors can change the outlook of an operation without changing how much work has already gone into it.

Still, crops have to be planted and harvested. Livestock have to be cared for. Machines have to be repaired, parts have to get where they’re needed, and food, fuel and fiber have to move from rural communities into a country that depends on them every single day. That’s the kind of work worth remembering on Labor Day.

At Tractor Tuesday, we know we can’t control commodity prices, input costs or the weather. What we can do is try to remove some of the unnecessary costs and friction that have accumulated around buying, selling and marketing farm equipment.

That’s why farmers can list equipment for sale on Tractor Tuesday without paying us a listing fee, and why we’ve built our auctions around zero seller commission. That’s also why equipment dealerships can put their inventory in front of buyers through our marketplace without another expensive advertising bill attached. Whether someone is trying to sell a single tractor, find the right machine for their operation or move an entire dealership’s inventory, we want Tractor Tuesday to be a place that works in their favor.

We believe the people doing the work should keep more of what they earn. Farmers and rural businesses deserve more choices, more transparency and fewer unnecessary costs standing between them and a fair deal. Those principles aren’t limited to one day of the year. They’re a big part of why Tractor Tuesday exists.

So this Labor Day, we’re especially grateful for the people who put in the long days, take the risks, fix what breaks and keep going when the numbers don’t always seem to reward the effort. To America’s farmers, ranchers, agricultural workers, equipment dealers, rural businesses and everyone else whose labor keeps agriculture moving: thank you.

Your work matters, rural America matters, and we’re proud to be in your corner.

Happy Labor Day from Tractor Tuesday.