Tom Harkin: “on this day, May 15, in 1862, President Lincoln signed into law an act establishing our nation's Department of…”

“on this day, May 15, in 1862, President Lincoln signed into law an act establishing our nation's Department of Agriculture. This 150th anniversary is an important opportunity to recognize and celebrate the success and achievement of the many Americans who are involved directly or indirectly in producing, processing, and distributing food, fuel, and fiber for our nation and for export to foreign consumers. The specific purposes of the new department mentioned in the 1862 act are ``to acquire and diffuse among the people of the United States useful information'' concerning agriculture, broadly and comprehensively defined, and ``to procure, propagate, and distribute among the people new and valuable seeds and plants.'' The responsibilities and authority entrusted to the Department of Agriculture have of course been enlarged over the course of the past 150 years, but this initial legislation contains the core elements of the Department's mission and role that have continued to this day. You will notice in the act the emphasis on disseminating among the people of the United States information, knowledge, and technology that would be helpful and useful to them as in their pursuits in agriculture. In doing so, the new Department would help to create, foster, and develop new, broadly-available opportunities among the people of the United States.…”