[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20734]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING CHUCK GROTH

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Tom Daschle 
and myself, we publicly honor and recognize Chuck Groth. For more than 
30 years, Chuck Groth has been telling the story. Whether it's about 
the trials and tribulations of farm families or the status of Federal 
policy that will impact agriculture, more than 10,000 South Dakota farm 
families have relied on Chuck's insightful presentation in their 
monthly edition of the Union Farmer.
  The Union Farmer is the voice of the South Dakota Farmer's Union, 
covering the extensive interests of the organization's varied 
membership.
  Chuck Groth has been responsible for more than 360 editions of the 
Union Farmer--an extraordinary record of longevity. Throughout the ups 
and downs of the industry, Chuck reported the news that captured the 
current state of affairs. He helped elevate the public dialogue about 
important issues, and made people more aware of the plight of South 
Dakota's farm and ranch families.
  During the mid-1980s, America's farm families faced their darkest 
days since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Chuck helped organized 
thousands of Farmer's Union members to call upon their elected 
officials to provide assistance to rural America. The effort led to a 
historic act that took all 105 members of the South Dakota State 
Legislature to Washington, DC, in 1985 to lobby Congress about the 
needs of rural America.
  Chuck has helped organize more than 50 fly-ins to Washington, DC, 
trips that helped keep farm policy at the forefront of the 
congressional agenda. Agriculture needed to have its story told, and 
Chuck was the wordsmith that made that possible.
  I ask my colleagues to join Senator Tom Daschle and myself in 
saluting Chuck Groth for his distinguished career and commitment to our 
Nation's family farmer.

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