[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 97 (Friday, May 18, 2012)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 29531-29532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12224]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 97 / Friday, May 18, 2012 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 29531]]


                Proclamation 8822 of May 14, 2012

                
150th Anniversary of the United States Department 
                of Agriculture

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed 
                legislation to establish the United States Department 
                of Agriculture (USDA) and codified a commitment to the 
                health of our people and our land. One hundred and 
                fifty years later, USDA continues to realize that 
                vision of service by applying sound public policy and 
                science to an evolving food and agriculture system.

                The USDA has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the 
                American people for generations. During the Great 
                Depression, the Department helped bring an end to the 
                Dust Bowl by promoting soil conservation. Through two 
                World Wars, the Victory Garden Program fed troops and 
                families around the world. The USDA worked to bring 
                electric power to rural communities, establish the 
                Supplemental Nutrition Assistance and School Lunch 
                Programs, implement our Nation's food safety 
                regulations, and protect our forests and private lands. 
                For one-and-a-half centuries, USDA has empowered 
                communities across our country and helped ensure we 
                leave our children a future rich with promise and 
                possibility.

                Today, USDA continues to serve the public interest by 
                providing leadership on agriculture, natural resources, 
                safe and nutritious food, research, and a broad 
                spectrum of related issues. With partners across the 
                public sector and throughout industry, USDA is working 
                to develop and expand markets for agricultural 
                products, grow our businesses and our economy, and 
                protect the quality of our food supply and our 
                environment. As part of the White House Rural Council, 
                the Department is striving to expand opportunity for 
                millions of families by promoting job growth and 
                investing in infrastructure that will drive progress in 
                the 21st century. Through the Feed the Future 
                initiative, USDA is supporting America's commitment to 
                combat hunger and improve food security worldwide. And 
                with the America's Great Outdoors initiative, USDA is 
                supporting community-based conservation initiatives 
                that will preserve our natural heritage for generations 
                to come.

                As we commemorate this historic milestone, we pay 
                tribute to the men and women of USDA, past and present, 
                who have faithfully served our Nation for 150 years. 
                For their commitment, our fields grow richer, our 
                abundance grows greater, and our country stands 
                stronger.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim May 15, 2012, as the 
                150th Anniversary of the United States Department of 
                Agriculture. I call upon all Americans to observe this 
                day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and 
                activities that honor the United States Department of 
                Agriculture for its lasting contributions to the 
                welfare of our Nation.

[[Page 29532]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth. 
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2012-12224
Filed 5-17-12; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F2-P