[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 185 (Friday, September 25, 2009)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 49301-49302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-23414]



[[Page 49299]]

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Part VII





The President





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Proclamation 8420--National Farm Safety and Health Week, 2009
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  Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 185 / Friday, September 25, 2009 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 49301]]

                Proclamation 8420 of September 21, 2009

                
National Farm Safety and Health Week, 2009

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Our Nation's prosperity has been built on the skill and 
                productivity of our farmers and ranchers. Two centuries 
                ago, many American families toiled in fields and 
                grasslands so that they might feed themselves. Today, 
                those in the agricultural sector provide food, fiber, 
                biofuels, and many other life necessities for millions 
                across our Nation and around the world. The hard work 
                and talent of those in the agricultural industry, and 
                continued advances in technology and efficiency, have 
                provided great security to the United States.

                As they offer great benefits to our Nation, farmers and 
                ranchers also face significant risks in the course of 
                their everyday duties. They often transport and operate 
                heavy and hazardous equipment and work in extreme 
                weather conditions. Farmers may be exposed to 
                pesticides, fertilizers, chemicals, and dust that can 
                be harmful to human health. They also work in dangerous 
                areas such as wells, silos, and grain elevators. These 
                individuals must take great precautions to protect 
                their health and safety, especially since rural 
                residents may have to travel long distances to receive 
                trauma care for an accident-related injury. They must 
                also take particular care to avoid accidents involving 
                children.

                As the fall harvest season approaches, I encourage farm 
                and ranch families and workers to participate in farm 
                safety and health programs. I also encourage them to 
                follow optimal farm safety and health practices. 
                Businesses and communities, and organizations and 
                neighbors, can encourage one another to understand the 
                risks of this work so that we can prevent accidents, 
                prevent exposure to potential hazards, and save lives.

                Working long hours at physically demanding and often 
                dangerous tasks, farmers and ranchers provide for our 
                Nation and countless others across the world. Even as 
                they have faced risks, they have made our agricultural 
                sector more productive and practiced good stewardship 
                of our country's natural resources. This week, 
                Americans express gratitude for the untold benefits we 
                enjoy from their labor, and we honor their achievements 
                by urging continued commitment to the highest standards 
                of safety and health.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim September 20 through 
                September 26, 2009, as National Farm Safety and Health 
                Week. I call upon the people of the United States to 
                join me in celebrating the vital contributions of 
                farmers and ranchers to our Nation and in reflecting 
                upon the importance of farm safety and health in 
                communities across America.

[[Page 49302]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-first day of September, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
                fourth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. E9-23414
Filed 9-24-09; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W9-P