[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 6 (Thursday, January 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H55-H56]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              KANSAS COLD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Mann) for 5 minutes.

[[Page H56]]

  

  Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the farmers and ranchers 
whose work does not stop. Even in the face of extreme freezing 
temperatures and abnormal snowfall, Kansans are standing strong and 
getting the job done.
  The Big First District of Kansas is one of the most productive 
agricultural areas in the country. It is home to more than 60,000 farms 
and ranches and is made up of farmers, ranchers, feed lot managers, 
nutritionists, ethanol producers, ag lenders, millers, and agribusiness 
owners who feed, clothe, and fuel the world.
  I grew up in the Big First, and I spent thousands of hours on a 
tractor in fields and on horseback doctoring cattle in our family's 
feed yard. I know well agriculture's working conditions are demanding 
on a good day but especially so when our business partner, Mother 
Nature, is as unforgiving as she has been lately.
  In the past few days, parts of Kansas have seen 15-plus inches of 
snow, electricity outages for days, and road closures that stretch from 
every corner of the State. But those who stand with snow up to their 
knees in the depths of winter or haul water in the drought of summer 
know agriculture does not take days off. In fact, in weather like this, 
producers work even harder to keep livestock and commodities safe and 
secure. No matter the temperature, they go to work long before most of 
us are awake and stay out until many of us have already laid down our 
heads at night.
  They are the people volunteering their time to move snow at nearby 
feed lots so cattle can continue to be fed and watered. They are the 
people hauling new cows on their truck floorboards out of snowbanks and 
onto dryer ground. They are the people breaking ice at all hours of the 
day. They are the men and women staying up through the night so a baby 
animal gets a shot at life, a piece of equipment is ready to go early 
the next morning, the neighboring producer has the help they need to 
milk their herds, and so people like you and I have a safe and secure 
food supply.
  As many across the country have learned in the past few years, our 
food does not come from a grocery store shelf. The importance of 
agriculture in the food supply chain cannot be overstated. This supply 
chain represents millions of people working every day in the U.S. It 
begins with farmers, ranchers, and growers, and it includes food 
processors and manufacturers, millers, shippers, transportation 
workers, and, finally, those working in grocery stores and restaurants 
all across the country. Each of these people are vital in ensuring we 
have food on our plates.
  While most of us in the Big First of Kansas know how important 
agriculture is, I know that message can sometimes get lost on the way 
to the grocery store. So on behalf of all of Kansans and Americans, I 
sincerely thank the farmers, ranchers, and producers who supply our 
food, fuel, and fiber. I thank them for pulling the baby calf out of 
the snowbank and nursing it back to life. I thank them for busting ice 
early and feeding hay late. I thank them for putting the needs of their 
livestock before themselves. I thank them for their never-ending, back-
breaking days. I thank them especially on cold days for working so hard 
for the extra hours and extra strength. Their efforts keep all of us 
warm and fed.
  It is an honor to represent them in the House of Representatives on 
the House Agriculture Committee. May God bless them and keep everybody 
safe.

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