[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
[August 31, 2004]
[Pages 1840-1848]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the Farm Progress Show in Alleman, Iowa
August 31, 2004

    The President. Thank you all for coming. It's great to be back in 
the great State of Iowa. As you can see, I'm traveling in pretty good 
company. Speaking about people who gave a great speech last night, John 
McCain did exactly what I hoped he would do, 
which is set the message straight about our record in fighting this war 
on terror. I'm proud to call John a friend. He is, in fact, a hero, as 
Glen said, and he's a great United States Senator 
from the State of Arizona. Thanks for coming, John. I'm proud to be with 
you.
    It's good to be here at the Farm Show. You know, some people think 
you can find the heart and soul of America in Hollywood. I think you 
find it right here in Iowa, and I appreciate you coming out to say 
hello.
    I wish Laura were here. She's getting ready. 
She's warming up for her speech tonight. [Laughter] She's getting ready 
to talk to the Nation, and I'm glad she is. She's a great mom, a 
wonderful wife, and she's a great First Lady for this country. I'm 
really proud of her--really proud of her. I'm going to be talking to you 
today about why I think you ought to put me in there for 4 more years. 
But perhaps the most important reason of all is so that Laura is the 
First Lady for 4 more years.
    I want to thank my friend Glen Keppy. He's 
the chairman of the Farmers for Bush campaign here in this great State. 
It's a vital position because you got a lot of farmers here. [Laughter] 
He's a good man. He's been a friend for a long time. I said, ``Would you 
help me get out and get my message out in the ag community?'' He said, 
``You bet.'' He said, ``Why don't you come over here to the Farm Show. 
Maybe a couple of people will show up and say hello.'' I'm glad you're 
here, Glen, and thank you for putting this on. I want to thank all the 
people who have organized this great event.
    I appreciate Karen Nussle is here. She's 
the wife of my friend Congressman Jim Nussle.
    I'm sorry Senator Grassley is not 
here. He's a good one. I enjoy working with him. We're getting a lot 
done together for Iowa, and I appreciate working with Chuck. I remember 
campaigning in your State a lot.

[[Page 1841]]

Every time I'd go with him he'd say, ``Oh, Farmer Jones lives here,'' 
and then you'd go down the road about another mile, and he'd know the 
name of that farmer; then he'd know the name of that farmer's wife. He 
probably knows everyone here names too. [Laughter] That's because he 
loves his State. He's doing a fine job.
    I appreciate the mayor, Mayor Bodensteiner,for being here. Mayor, I appreciate you coming. I think 
the only thing I'd suggest is you make sure you fill the potholes. 
[Laughter] I appreciate you, though, Mr. Mayor. Thanks for your service.
    I know my friend Stew Iverson is here, 
of the State senate. I know we've got a lot of local officials and State 
officials here. Thank you for serving, and thank you for coming.
    There's members of the ex-Governors club here. I'm one of those 
members. Terry Branstad and Bob Ray are with us, and I'm honored they are here--fine 
friends and great people.
    My friend Stan Thompson is running for the 
United States Congress, and I hope you give him a good look. He's a good 
fellow.
    Jan Lyons, president of the National 
Cattlemen's Beef Association, is with us. They have given me their 
endorsement. I am honored to be endorsed by the Cattlemen of the United 
States of America. Got the corn growers represented here by Len 
Corzine. I appreciate Len coming. I 
appreciate all the corn growers being here too, by the way. Ron 
Heck, the chairman of the American Soybean 
Association, is with us. I appreciate Ron coming. I want to thank Keith 
Berry, whose pork people are here, pork grower--
hog raisers--[laughter]--Pork Producers Council. I want to thank Craig 
Lang, who is the President of the Iowa Farm 
Bureau.
    Most of all, I want to thank you for coming. I'm here to let you 
know I'm asking for your vote. I believe you got to get out--[applause].
    I got more work to do on behalf of the American people. You know, 
we've got a really good record. We've done a lot in office, and we've 
come through a lot together. But there's only one reason to look back, 
and that is to determine who best to lead us forward. I'm here to let 
you know I've got more to do to make this country safer and America a 
more hopeful place, and I'd like your help. I'd like you to go to your 
friends and neighbors and remind them, in a democracy we have a duty to 
vote. In this great country, we have an obligation, in my judgment, as 
citizens to go to the polls. And the first step is to register people.
    So if you don't mind, as we're coming down the stretch, why don't 
you find friends and neighbors and say, ``As an--you got an obligation 
as an American to vote, and so, register to vote.'' And then when you're 
heading them to the polls and you get them going our way--[laughter]--
tell them if they want a stronger America, a safer America, and a better 
America, to put Dick Cheney and me back in 
office.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. I'm running with a good man in Vice President 
Cheney. I admit it, he's not the prettiest face 
on the ticket. [Laughter] I did not pick him for his looks. I picked him 
because of his sound advice, his great experience, and because he can 
get the job done.
    I'm running because we--I know we've got more to do to make our 
public schools the centers of excellence they can be. You know, 3 years 
ago, when we got into office, there was too many of our kids getting 
shuffled through the school, grade after grade, year after year, without 
learning the basics. So we challenged what I call the soft bigotry of 
low expectations. We've raised the bar. We believe in accountability. We 
believe in local control of schools. We're willing to challenge schools 
that will not teach and will not change. Every child in America deserves 
an excellent education.

[[Page 1842]]

    I'm running again because I know we've got to do more to make health 
care available and affordable. You might remember that old Medicare 
debate. They called it ``Medi-scare.'' People would talk about it, but 
nobody would touch it. I was worried that the Medicare system was not 
fulfilling the promise to our seniors. You know, a senior would go in 
and get a heart operation for $100,000. The Government would pay for it, 
but they wouldn't pay for the prescription drugs that would prevent the 
heart operation from needing to be in the first place.
    So I said to Congress, ``Why don't we come together and make sure 
our seniors have got a modern health care system.'' We got the job done 
when it came to strengthening Medicare for our seniors. And working with 
Chuck Grassley, we've also taken care of 
our rural hospitals. You know what I'm talking about if you live in 
rural Iowa. You know how the system wasn't good for the Iowa hospitals 
and docs. We corrected the problem. We're getting the job done.
    We will continue to expand community health centers for low-income 
Americans. We will expand health savings accounts so families can save 
tax-free for their own health care needs. I understand most people get 
their health insurance through the businesses, and most new jobs are 
created by small businesses. Yet, small businesses are having trouble 
affording health care. We must allow small businesses to join together 
so they can buy insurance at the same discounts that big businesses are 
able to do.
    In order to make sure health care is available and affordable here 
in Iowa, we need to stop these frivolous lawsuits that are running good 
docs out of business and running up the cost of your health care. See, I 
don't think you can be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-plaintiff-
attorney at the same time. I think you have to choose. My 
opponent made his choice, and he put him on the ticket. [Laughter] I made my choice. I am for 
medical liability reform now.
    In all we do to improve health care in America, we'll make sure that 
the health decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by 
bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
    I'm running because I know there's more to do to keep this economy 
strong. We've been through a lot together when it came to this economy. 
We've been through a recession. We've been through corporate scandals. 
The terrorist attack hurt our economy.
    And yet, we've got an economy that's growing. We've overcome the 
obstacles. We've overcome them because we've got great workers. We've 
overcome them because we've got great farmers. We've overcome those 
obstacles because the entrepreneurial spirit is strong and the small-
business sector of this economy is alive and well. And I believe we've 
overcome those obstacles because of well-timed tax cuts.
    Our view was, ``If you pay taxes, you ought to get relief.'' We also 
helped our families by raising the child credit. We reduced the marriage 
penalty. I think the Tax Code ought to encourage marriage, not 
discourage marriage. We helped our small businesses. We helped them 
purchase equipment. This time, the check was actually in the mail, too. 
[Laughter]
    Because we acted, our economy has been growing at rates as fast as 
any in nearly 20 years. The national unemployment rate is at 5.5 
percent, which is well below the national average of the 1970s, the 
1980s, and the 1990s. The unemployment rate in your great State is at 
4.4 percent. Our economic recovery plan is working.
    A strong farm economy is good for our Nation's economy, and we have 
a strong farm economy today. We're seeing record exports for farm 
products. Farm income is up. And that means people are making a living 
here in rural Iowa. And that is good for the United States of America, 
and I intend to keep it that way.

[[Page 1843]]

    There's more work to be done to make sure this economy grows. I 
submitted an energy plan to the United States Congress. It needs to get 
the energy plan to my desk. The energy plan says, ``We'll work on 
conservation. We'll have clean coal technology. We'll explore for 
natural gas in environmentally friendly ways.'' But it's an energy plan 
that also recognizes the vast potential of corn and soybeans. I believe 
in ethanol, and I believe in biodiesel. See, I think, one of these days, 
with good research, a President is going to be sitting at the desk there 
in the Oval Office; somebody is going to walk in and say, ``Guess what, 
Mr. President. The corn crop is up, and we're less dependent on foreign 
sources of energy.''
    I believe we ought to have wise trade policy in order to make sure 
this economy grows and people can find work here in America. We open up 
our markets for other--to other countries, and that's good for you. You 
see, when you have more product to choose from, you're going to get a--
what you're demanding at a better price and better quality. That's the 
way the market works. So instead of shutting down our markets, we'll 
continue to open up other people's markets. If people treat us the way 
we treat them, we can compete with anybody, anyplace, anywhere in the 
world.
    That's why we've been--I've been out there working to have free 
trade agreements with countries all around the world. It's good for Iowa 
farmers that we're opening up markets. See, I think you can compete with 
any farmer, anyplace, anytime, and all you need is a chance, a level 
playing field. This administration is committed to making sure Iowa farm 
products are sold all over the world.
    Every day is Earth Day when you own your own land. The best 
conservation policy starts with encouraging our farmers and ranchers to 
conserve. That's why I'm such a strong believer in the CRP program. It's 
a good program. It's good for wildlife. It's good for land. It's good 
for the families who make a living off the farm. Right now we have about 
35 million acres of farm land in the program, and I know you know that 
contracts covering roughly two-thirds of the existing land in that 
program are scheduled to expire in 2007 and 2008. To make sure the 
farmlands stay protected, I've directed the Secretary of 
Agriculture to offer early reenrollments and 
extensions on existing projects, existing contracts.
    There's more work to do to make sure this economy continues to grow. 
One thing we got to do, be smart about how we spend your money in 
Washington, DC. And the other thing is to keep your taxes low. The worst 
thing that could happen to our economy right now is to let them run up 
your taxes on you. I'm running against a fellow 
who's promised over $2 trillion of new spending, and we still got 
September and October to go. [Laughter]
    So they said, ``How you going to pay for it?'' He said, ``Oh, we're just going to tax the rich.'' Now, 
you've heard that before, haven't you? Yes. When you hear them in 
Washington say ``tax the rich,'' hang on to your wallet. [Laughter] But 
the good news is, we're not going to let him tax anybody because we're 
going to win Iowa and win the country in '04.
    We have more to do to wage and win the war on terror. America's 
future depends on our willingness to lead in this world. If America 
shows weakness or uncertainty in this decade, the world will drift 
toward tragedy. This isn't going to happen on my watch.
    The world changed on a terrible September morning, and since that 
day, we have changed the world. Before September the 11th, Afghanistan 
served as the home base of Al Qaida, which trained and deployed 
thousands of killers and set up cells around the world, including the 
United States. Because we acted, Afghanistan is a rising democracy. 
Because we acted, over 10 million Afghan citizens have registered to 
vote in the October Presidential elections. Because we acted, many young 
girls

[[Page 1844]]

go to school for the first time in Afghanistan. Because we acted, 
Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror. Because we acted, America 
and the world are safer.
    Before September the 11th, Libya was spending millions to acquire 
weapons of mass destruction. Today, because America and our allies have 
sent a strong and easy-to-understand message, the leader of 
Libya has abandoned his 
pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, and America and the world are 
safer.
    Before September the 11th, the ruler of Iraq was a sworn enemy of America. He was defying the 
world. He was firing weapons at American pilots who were enforcing the 
world's sanctions. He had used weapons of mass destruction. He harbored 
terrorists. He invaded his neighbors. He funded--he subsidized the 
families of suicide bombers. Saddam Hussein and his henchmen killed 
thousands of his own citizens. He was a source of great instability in 
the world's most volatile region. I saw a threat.
    After September the 11th, this country must deal with threats before 
they fully materialize. One of the lessons of that day is that when we 
see a threat, we can no longer hope for the best. We must deal with 
those threats. We must never forget that lesson, for the security of our 
people.
    So I went to the United States Congress. The Congress looked at the 
same intelligence I had looked at. They remembered the same history of 
Saddam Hussein. They concluded that Saddam 
Hussein was a threat and authorized the use of force. Members of both 
political parties came to that conclusion, including my opponent.
    The last choice of the Commander in Chief is to commit troops into 
combat. We must try all means necessary to deal with threats before they 
fully materialize. So I went to the United Nations. I said, ``Saddam 
Hussein is a threat.'' They looked at the 
same intelligence, and they came to the same conclusion we had come to 
that Saddam Hussein was a threat, and by a 15-to-nothing vote in the 
U.N. Security Council said Saddam Hussein must disclose, disarm, or face 
serious consequence. The world spoke, and the world spoke with one 
voice.
    But as he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein defied the demands of the free world. He wasn't about 
to listen to what the world had said. As a matter of fact, when 
inspectors were sent into Iraq, he systematically deceived the 
inspectors. So I had a choice to make: Do I forget the lessons of 
September the 11th and trust a madman, or take action to defend this 
country. Given that choice, I will defend America every time.
    Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
    The President. Even though we did not find the stockpiles that we 
all thought were there, Saddam Hussein had 
the capability to make weapons of mass destruction, and he could have 
passed that capability on to his enemies. And that was a risk this 
country could not afford to have taken after September the 11th. Knowing 
what I know today, I would have made the same decision. America and the 
world are safer with Saddam Hussein sitting in a prison cell.
    Now, almost 2 years after he voted for the war in Iraq and 7 months 
after switching positions to declare himself the antiwar candidate, my 
opponent has found another nuance. He now agrees 
it was the right decision to go into Iraq. See, after months of 
questioning my motives and even my credibility, my opponent now agrees 
with me that even though we didn't find the stockpiles we thought were 
there, knowing everything we know today, he would have voted to go into 
Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein from power. 
And I thank him for clearing that up. [Laughter] But I want to caution 
you, there's still a little over 60 days left for him to change his mind 
again.
    We have more to do. I'm running because I know we have more to do to 
make this country secure. We'll continue to work with our friends and 
allies around the world

[[Page 1845]]

to aggressively pursue the terrorists and foreign fighters in Iraq and 
Afghanistan and elsewhere. See, you cannot talk sense to these people. 
You cannot negotiate with them. You cannot hope for the best. We must 
pursue them around the world so we do not have to face them here at 
home.
    We are winning this war against these terrorists, and we will win 
this war against these terrorists. In order to do so, America must 
continue to lead the world with confidence and moral clarity. We put 
together a strong coalition to help us defeat these people. There's 
nearly 40 nations involved in Afghanistan, some 30 nations involved in 
Iraq. Over the next 4 years, I will continue to build coalitions so we 
can work together. It's in our interest. We have good, strong 
coalitions. It's in the interest of others that we work together. But I 
will never turn over America's national security decision to leaders of 
other countries.
    We'll keep our commitment to help the people of Afghanistan and 
Iraq. We set a clear goal. Those countries will be peaceful. They'll be 
democratic, and they'll be allies in the war on terror. We'll keep our 
commitment because when America gives its word, America must keep its 
word. We'll keep our commitment because it's in our interest that free 
societies emerge in those countries. Our strategy is clear. We'll 
provide enough security so they can head for elections. And at the same 
time, we'll help Afghans and Iraqis assume the duties necessary for a 
free society to emerge. We're training their troops. We're training 
their police, so they can do the hard work of defeating the few who want 
to deny the hopes and ambitions of the many. Our military will complete 
this mission as quickly as possible so our troops do not stay a day 
longer than necessary.
    Our troops are keeping our commitments around the world. We have got 
a fantastic United States military. I've seen their great decency and 
their unselfish courage. And I have made a pledge to them and their 
loved ones that our Government will support them in their missions. And 
that's why, last September, I went to the United States Congress, while 
our troops were in combat in Afghanistan and in Iraq, and proposed 
supplemental funding to support them in their mission. The legislation 
provided funding for body armor and vital equipment, hazard pay, health 
benefits, ammunition, fuel, and spare parts. It was a very important 
piece of legislation and funding. It was necessary. We had great 
bipartisan support. As a matter of fact, the support was so strong that 
only 12 Members of the United States Senate voted against it, 2 of whom 
are my opponent and his runningmate.
    So they said, ``Why did you vote against this vital legislation?'' 
He said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 
billion, before I voted against it.'' I spend a lot of time here in this 
State. I've never heard anybody talk like that in Iowa. [Laughter] They 
pressed him further, and he said, well, he's proud of the vote. And 
finally, he said it's just a complicated matter. There's nothing 
complicated about supporting our troops in combat.
    In the long run, our security is not guaranteed by force alone. We 
will work to change the conditions that give rise to terror, poverty and 
hopelessness and resentment. See, a free and democratic Iraq and a free 
and democratic Afghanistan will serve as powerful examples in a part of 
the world that is desperate for freedom. Free countries do not export 
terror. Free countries provide hope for their people. The best way to 
defeat terror in the long run is to spread liberty around the world.
    I believe in the transformational power of liberty. I've spent time 
sitting at a table with Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. My dad 
fought against the Japanese; your dads fought against the Japanese. But 
because we believed in--liberty could transform people, after World War 
II, my predecessor and many in this country worked with Japan to become 
a self-governing, democratic nation. And so when you hear me

[[Page 1846]]

talk about the transformational power of liberty, think about the fact 
that I'm talking to the head of a former enemy that's now an ally in 
peace. When we sit around the table, we're talking about how to make the 
world more peaceful. Someday, an elected official from the United States 
and a duly elected leader of Iraq will be talking about how to make the 
world a more peaceful place.
    By serving the ideal of liberty, we're making America more secure. 
And by serving the ideal of liberty, we're serving the deepest ideals of 
the American spirit. Freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom 
is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this world.
    We'll continue to work hard to protect you here at home. We've 
created the Department of Homeland Security to better organize our 
Government to deal with the threats of the 21st century. No, there's 
great communication now between the Federal, State, and local levels. I 
want to thank the first-responders here in the great State of Iowa for 
serving your communities. The FBI and the CIA are talking better. We're 
reorganizing the intelligence gathering to make sure we get the very 
best information possible to protect the American people.
    We must renew the PATRIOT Act so our law enforcement has the tools 
necessary to defend you against terrorist threat. We must do a better 
job of securing our borders and our ports.
    We're working hard. We're working hard to make this country more 
secure, and we'll continue to press for needed reforms in Washington. 
But it's hard in that city for reform. There's a lot of entrenched 
interests there, a lot of people who like the status quo. It's not 
enough to advocate reform; you have to be able to get the job done.
    So when you're out there gathering up the vote, remind people in 
this great State that when it comes to reforming schools and improving 
education for every child in America, we're getting the job done; that 
when it comes to health care reforms to help rural hospitals in Iowa and 
to help families and seniors, we're getting the job done; and when it 
comes to improving our economy and keeping this ag economy strong in 
America, we're getting the job done; that when it comes to better 
securing this homeland, defeating the terrorists, and spreading freedom 
and peace, we're getting the job done. And remind them, when it comes 
time to choose a President, put somebody back in there who can get the 
job done.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. At my convention speech Thursday--I guess I better 
get home and write it here pretty soon--[laughter]--I'm going to talk 
about the fact we're in a changing world, and the role of Government is 
to help people during a changing world, not to give them orders but to 
stand side by side so people can realize their dreams.
    And one of the ways to do that is to promote an ownership society in 
America. In changing times, if you own something, it provides stability. 
For example, in changing times, if you own and control your own health 
care account, you can take it from job to job. In changing times, it's 
helpful for younger workers to be able to take some of their own money 
and have a personal savings account in Social Security that they can 
call their own. In changing times--by the way, for baby boomers and 
older, we're in good shape in Social Security. Nothing is going to 
change because it's solvent for us. It's the younger workers we need to 
worry about.
    In changing times, we want more people owning their own business, 
owning their own farm, owning a piece of the future of America. In 
changing times, we want more people owning their own home. Do you 
realize the homeownership rate in America is at an alltime high? More 
and more people are owning their own home.

[[Page 1847]]

I think there's nothing better in America than somebody who says, 
``Welcome to my home. Welcome to my piece of property.'' See, when you 
own something, you have a vital stake in the future of our country.
    In changing times, there's some things that won't change, the 
individual values we try to live by, courage, integrity, and reverence, 
and compassion. Our beliefs in liberty and opportunity and the 
nonnegotiable demands of human dignity won't change. In changing times, 
we'll protect the institutions that give us direction and purpose, our 
families and our schools and our religious congregations.
    We stand for institutions like marriage and family, which are the 
foundations of society. We stand for a culture of life in which every 
person matters and every person counts. We stand for judges who 
faithfully interpret the law instead of legislating from the bench.
    We stand for a culture of responsibility in America. You know, the 
culture of our country is changing from one that has said, ``If it feels 
good, just go ahead and do it,'' and ``If you've got a problem, blame 
somebody else,'' to a culture in which each of us understands we're 
responsible for the decisions we make in life. If you're a mom or a dad, 
if you're fortunate enough to be a mother or a father, you're 
responsible for loving your child with all your heart and all your soul. 
If you're worried about the quality of the education in the community in 
which you live, you're responsible for supporting your teachers and 
doing something about it. If you're a CEO in corporate America, you are 
responsible for telling the truth to your shareholders and your 
employees. And in a responsibility society, each of us is responsible 
for loving our neighbor just like we'd like to be loved ourselves.
    For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand 
apart. You know, there's quiet times in the life of this Nation when 
little is expected of its leaders. This isn't one of those times. This 
is a time that requires firm resolve, steadfast purpose, and a deep 
belief in the values that make us a great nation.
    None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another 
began. I stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers on September the 14th, 
2001. It's a day I'll never forget. There were workers in hardhats 
yelling at me at the top of their lungs, ``Whatever it takes.'' I 
remember thanking people for their hard work, and a guy grabbed me by 
the arm, and he looked me in the eye with his bloodshot eyes, and he 
said, ``Do not let me down.''
    I have a duty that has gone on since that day. I wake up every 
morning trying to best determine how to protect our country. I will 
never relent in defending America, whatever it takes.
    We've come through a lot together. We've done a lot of hard work. 
There's more to be done to make sure our schools reach their full 
potential. There's more to be done to spread opportunity to every single 
corner of this country. There's more to be done to pass the values of 
this land on to another generation. There's more to be done to spread 
freedom and peace so our children can grow up in a peaceful world.
    You know, when I campaigned across your State, I said if you gave me 
the honor of holding this office, I would uphold the honor and dignity 
of the office to which I had been elected. With your help, with your 
hard work, I will do so for the next 4 years.
    Thanks for coming, and may God bless. Thank you all very much. God 
bless you all. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 3 p.m. at the Alleman Farm. In his remarks, 
he referred to Glen Keppy, chairman, Iowa Farm Team, Bush-Cheney '04, 
Inc.; Mayor Bill Bodensteiner of Alleman, IA; Stewart E. Iverson, Jr., 
majority leader, Iowa State Senate; former Governors Terry Branstad and

[[Page 1848]]

Robert D. Ray of Iowa; Stan Thompson, candidate for Iowa's Third 
Congressional District; Jan Lyons, president, National Cattlemen's Beef 
Association; Leon ``Len'' Corzine, first vice president, 2004 Corn 
Board, National Corn Growers Association; Ron Heck, chairman, American 
Soybean Association; Keith Berry, president, board of directors, 
National Pork Producers Council; Craig Lang, president, board of 
directors, Iowa Farm Bureau; Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi, leader 
of Libya; and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan. He also 
referred to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), administered by the 
Farm Service Agency, United States Department of Agriculture.