[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16870]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO EDIE DAHLSTEN

 Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, you have heard me speak many times 
about the importance of agriculture to my home State. It is a critical 
industry in Kansas and forms the backbone of our economy. Within the 
field of agriculture are many dedicated and talented leaders who serve 
and have served Kansans with distinction. I have had the privilege to 
know and work with many of them over the years, but there is one in 
particular I would like to highlight today. Edie Dahlsten currently 
serves as the vice president of the Kansas Farm Bureau. For nearly a 
decade, Edie has served in this role with distinction and this November 
she will retire at the end of her term.
  The Farm Bureau is truly a grassroots organization that begins with a 
single farmer, who joins together with his neighbors to form an 
organization that represents their way of life. Edie and Larry Dahlsten 
have been engaged in every aspect of that organization, beginning with 
their service on the McPherson County Farm Bureau Board near their home 
in central Kansas.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, for Edie and Larry, farming is more than 
just a way to make a living it is a way of life. Together they make a 
great team, and their commitment to the Farm Bureau and the values it 
represents is widely known. Edie and Larry's leadership and service 
together began more than 20 years ago when they served on the State 
Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee. As an Outstanding Young Farm 
Family, they have represented their fellow producers on numerous 
committees over the years to advocate on behalf of producers at the 
local, State, and national level.
  Edie's leadership and advocacy began with humble beginnings on the 
soil of a rural Kansas farm. In 1976, she was selected as a Farm Bureau 
leader to represent her district on the State Women's Committee. In 
1989, she was elected to the Kansas Farm Bureau Board of Directors, and 
in 2002 she was elected as vice president of the Kansas Farm Bureau. 
Edie's career has taken her around the world to convey the importance 
of agriculture and to share her passion for the special way of life so 
many Kansans love.
  Edie Dahlsten embodies many traits we can all admire--a deep love for 
the great State of Kansas, gratitude for the many hard-working families 
who daily provide the food, fuel, and fiber Americans rely on, and the 
respect of her peers across the nation.
  I would now like to ask my colleagues to join us in recognizing Edie 
for her dedication, passion, and many years of service.

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