IV 111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. CON. RES. 229 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 20, 2010 Mr. Cardoza submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Supporting the designation of the facility under development by the Stanislaus County Ag Center Foundation, in Stanislaus County, California, as the National Ag Science Center.

Whereas the United States was founded on the strength of agriculture production, which helped to establish the United States among the world’s most powerful and prosperous nations; Whereas the importance of agriculture in the United States continues to grow, as American farmers and ranchers produce the food, fiber, and agricultural products that keep the United States strong and bountiful and that help feed a hungry world; Whereas agriculture from field-to-fork and pond-to-plate is an economic engine generating more than $258 billion in cash receipts annually for the United States economy; Whereas agricultural exports account for more than 20 percent of United States exports; Whereas 2.1 million family farms in the United States account for more than 90 percent of the commodities grown today, with the States of California, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Kansas, Illinois, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Indiana leading the way in producing the world’s safest food and most abundant agricultural products; Whereas the State of California is a preeminent producer of more than 350 different agricultural commodities, including more than 90 percent of all of the tomatoes and grapes produced in the United States, all of the commercial almonds, dates, figs, olives, cling peaches, prunes and raisins produced in the United States, and one out of every five glasses of milk consumed in the United States; Whereas the total investment by California’s 78,500 farms in terms of direct and indirect economic impact is staggering, and, if California is going to keep its agricultural industry strong and vibrant, it must focus on the needs of farmers who are valuable contributors to the economic, social, and cultural life of the State and the United States; Whereas the agricultural industry is challenged to find ways to address the diverse needs of agriculture in regions with very different products, climates, and experiences and must continue to work together to find ways to both support agricultural production and ensure that consumers continue to have access to the world’s safest and most abundant food and agriculture products; Whereas the agricultural industry faces issues as varied as renewable energy, rural development, disaster preparedness, nutrition, conservation, international trade, futures markets, animal and plant health, research and development, bioterrorism, forestry, species protection, habitat restoration, energy policy, and climate change; Whereas one of the challenges facing American agriculture is to continue to attract the best and brightest minds to the industry and to foster public awareness of agriculture’s role in the United States and world economy; Whereas as Americans grow more and more detached from the great agrarian history of the United States, fewer Americans understand the fundamental importance of agriculture to American society; Whereas educating young Americans about agriculture and its importance to the United States is an investment that will pay off in future benefits as citizens of all ages, especially youth, will play a meaningful, hands-on role in determining the future of American agriculture; Whereas greater public understanding and appreciation of the importance of agriculture to California, the United States, and the world is needed to secure a positive future, in which the United States can rely on healthy food that is produced domestically; Whereas, as planners, conservationists, and other interested persons throughout the United States organize to help protect agricultural resources, the National Ag Science Center in Stanislaus County, California, is preparing to educate and alert future generations about the need to preserve agricultural land and foster an understanding of the importance of agriculture; Whereas the National Ag Science Center will be the premier showcase of science and technology in American agriculture whose mission is to inspire, excite, and enrich people of all ages through unique, interactive opportunities that highlight the role science and technology contribute to the production, processing, and marketing of America’s food and fiber; Whereas, according to findings of the Center for Public Policy Studies at California State University, Stanislaus, the National Ag Science Center will create or support up to 359 new local jobs, create or support up to $57,500,000 in economic activity and $15,200,000 in labor income through construction of the new facility, generate as much as $8,500,000 in total annual economic activity, and result in as much as $3,400,000 in total annual labor income; Whereas, on November 28, 2007, a memorandum of understanding for the dedication of a 3.5 acre site on the West Campus of Modesto Community College for the National Ag Science Center was executed by the Stanislaus County Ag Center Foundation and the Yosemite Community College District; Whereas the National Ag Science Center will be constructed using the standards adopted by the U.S. Green Building Council for a LEED Certified Green Building; Whereas the name National Ag Science Center and an accompanying logo are registered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office; and Whereas establishment of the National Ag Science Center is in the national interest, as the National Ag Science Center will enable future generations to help assure a healthy and profitable place for agriculture in the economy of California and the United States: Now, therefore, be it

That Congress supports the designation of the facility under development by the Stanislaus County Ag Center Foundation, in Stanislaus County, California, as the National Ag Science Center.