Jimmy Panetta: “As a Representative of the salad bowl of the world, the 20th Congressional District in California, I commemorate and…”

“As a Representative of the salad bowl of the world, the 20th Congressional District in California, I commemorate and celebrate National Ag Day. In my district, the number one industry is agriculture, yes, because of the fertile land, but also because of the fearless attitude of farmers and farmworkers, growers, and families and friends of those in agriculture. Having grown up on the central coast, we understand that the key to their success is based on that willingness to take risk. We know that risk-taking attitude is the foundation of our country, but since then, the seed of risk taking has been sown in our culture and spread across our agricultural community. People in agriculture are constantly using that trait to deal with Mother Nature, to overcome government mandates, to transform for the changing market conditions, and to contend with the lack of immigration reform right here in Congress. Nevertheless, with that risk-taking attitude, people in agriculture don't shrink from those challenges; they stand up to them. That is why they not only survive, they succeed. That is why we in Congress shouldn't just recognize people in agriculture today; we should learn from them every day. ____________________”