[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 91 (Friday, June 15, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1047-E1048]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

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                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 15, 2012

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
150th anniversary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). I 
represent the city of Davis, which is home to the University of 
California, Davis (UC Davis). The USDA has a natural partner in UC 
Davis given its outstanding history of agricultural research and 
outreach. In California, USDA has reduced crop pests and disease, 
protected over 120,000 wetlands in California, and worked to keep the 
farming culture strong. I would like to submit for the Record the 
following letter dated May 16, 2012, from Val Dolcini, the State 
Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency in California. This 
letter illustrates just a few successes of USDA over the last 150 years 
and, with our support, their accomplishments will continue in the 
future.


                     USDA at 150: Farms, food, jobs

  One hundred and fifty years ago, in the midst of a great Civil War, 
President Lincoln signed legislation to establish a Department of 
Agriculture to ``acquire and to diffuse among the people of the United 
States useful information on subjects connected with agriculture . . . 
and to procure, propagate, and distribute among the people new and 
valuable seeds and plants.''
  Armed with these broad mandates, the ``People's Department,'' as he 
called it, set about to serve American farmers and a mostly rural 
American landscape.
  At that time, half of all Americans lived on farms, compared with 
about 2 percent today. The U.S. population in 1862 was about 31.4 
million and today, that number has increased tenfold to almost 313 
million people.
  Since its inception, the department has continued to fulfill Abraham 
Lincoln's original vision to touch the lives of every American, every 
day in almost every way. Now, the modern USDA works in food science, 
agricultural research, nutrition assistance, bio-fuel production, 
economic and community development, natural resource conservation, 
international trade, credit and a host of other issues.
  By any measure, it's been a very successful 150 years for the USDA. 
Americans benefit from safe, abundant and reasonably priced food. We 
produce 85 percent of what we consume and therefore enjoy food 
security.
  Our food, fuel and fiber industries provides employment for more than 
20 million Americans, and agricultural exports continue to post 
significant trade surpluses, which, in turn, have generated almost 1 
million jobs alone.
  Looking to the future, the USDA must continue the legacy of 
contributing to the strength and health of the nation by becoming a 
more modern and effective service provider. We must tighten our belt, 
just as many Americans are doing with their household budgets.
  In the past few decades, American agriculture has become one of the 
most productive sectors of our economy, thanks to farmers, ranchers and 
growers adopting technology, reducing their debt and effectively 
managing risk.
  The USDA is adopting these same strategies in its Blueprint for 
Stronger Service, announced by Secretary Tom Vilsack earlier this year. 
The blueprint aims to build a modern and efficient service organization 
that is closely aligned with technological innovations--and better 
suited to respond to 21st century agricultural challenges.
  The challenges ahead are many, both for the USDA and American 
agriculture. But by focusing on a strong safety net for farmers and 
ranchers, supporting policies that encourage sustainable productivity, 
and promoting vibrant markets that help feed consumers at home and 
abroad, the ``People's Department'' will continue to help create jobs, 
support working families, strengthen rural communities and build on the 
success and productivity of the American farmer.

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