[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 11 (Monday, March 21, 1994)]
[Page 562]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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Proclamation 6657--National Agriculture Day, 1994

March 18, 1994

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    The early days of spring mark the time when nature quickens its pace 
from winter to begin another season of vigorous growth. A green carpet 
of emerging leaves and sprouting crops unfolds from the shores of the 
Gulf of Mexico across the rest of this great land, as the advancing 
springtime Sun gently warms the Earth. We Americans owe much to this 
annual season of renewal, and citizens around the world join with us in 
eager anticipation of our land's rich harvest.
    Our Nation's 20 million farmers, farmworkers, harvesters, 
processors, shippers, marketers, retailers, and equipment providers help 
to sustain our country's reputation as the breadbasket of the Earth. In 
1992, American agriculture accounted for 18.5 percent of international 
agricultural trade, reflecting the quality and productivity that has 
made our produce the finest in the world. Hard-working Americans have 
long helped to place food on the tables of the hungry. Last year alone, 
the United States donated over $2 billion worth of food aid to those in 
need around the globe.
    In addition to meeting the demands of the planet's vast population, 
our prodigious agricultural team contributes much to our national life, 
creating jobs and shaping the daily experiences of millions of 
Americans. Our Nation was built by farmers' steady hands, and we are 
forever indebted to these dedicated pioneers for their diligence and 
persistence.
    National Agriculture Day is a celebration of the ongoing partnership 
between humanity and nature. Each day, we embrace new innovations in 
agricultural products and tools that widen consumer choice, create jobs, 
strengthen rural areas, and help to make the United States more 
competitive in the global economy. We express our deep appreciation to 
the agriculture community and, together, we hope for another bountiful 
season.
    The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 163, has designated March 
20, 1994, as ``National Agriculture Day,'' and has authorized and 
requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this 
day.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim March 20, 1994, as National 
Agriculture Day. I call on the people of the United States to recognize 
the members of our national food and fiber team, whose hard work has 
helped our Nation to grow and prosper. I encourage all Americans to show 
their appreciation for our plentiful and dependable food supplies 
through appropriate ceremonies and activities.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day 
of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and 
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
eighteenth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 12:08 p.m., March 21, 
1994]

Note: This proclamation will be published in the Federal Register on 
March 23.