III 112th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 458 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 10, 2012 Mr. Johanns (for himself, Ms. Stabenow, and Mr. Roberts) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Commemorating May 15, 2012, as the sesquicentennial of the founding of the Department of Agriculture.

Whereas, on May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law an Act that established a Department of Agriculture (12 Stat. 387, chapter 72); Whereas President Lincoln gave the Department of Agriculture general authority to acquire and spread useful information on agricultural subjects and to assist in the development and use of new and valuable seeds and plants; Whereas, in 1862, President Lincoln also signed into law the Act entitled An Act to secure homesteads to actual settlers on the public domain (commonly known as the Homestead Act of 1862; 12 Stat. 392, chapter 75) and the Act of July 2, 1862 (commonly known as the First Morrill Act; 12 Stat. 503, chapter 130), which, along with the creation of the Department of Agriculture, lay the foundation for Federal agricultural policy; Whereas, in the 1850s, there was 1 farmer for every 2 people in the United States, while today the average farmer in the United States feeds more than 150 people; Whereas the United States is now the second largest producer and the largest exporter of agricultural products in the world; Whereas the role of the Department of Agriculture has expanded to include functions impacting nearly every aspect of the rural United States and beyond; Whereas the Department of Agriculture helps to ensure the safety of the food supply of the United States, provides conservation assistance, collects market data, provides nutrition assistance, protects the health of plants and animals, supports rural communities, conducts agricultural research, maintains risk management tools for producers, and promotes agricultural exports; and Whereas the professionalism, dedication, and work ethic of the public servants at the Department of Agriculture provide a shining example of why President Lincoln called the Department of Agriculture the People’s Department: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)congratulates the men and women of the Department of Agriculture on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Department; (2)celebrates the growth and success of agriculture in the United States; and (3)honors the farmers and ranchers of the United States, whose ingenuity, adaptability, and skill have created the safest and most abundant food supply in the history of mankind.