Political Quotes

“Today marks the 150th anniversary of the United States Department of Agriculture, and I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to USDA's mission and day-to-day work and to all those involved in the agriculture industry--from farmers and ranchers and foresters, to producers and manufacturers and researchers. The Department of Agriculture is pillar and post in American agriculture, fostering durability while enabling innovation; bridging old and new, rural and urban. Agriculture has long been a centerpiece of Vermont's economy and way of life. The impact of agricultural industry is felt in every State, and in every household. In fact, one in every 12 Americans is employed in an agriculture-related industry, and in Vermont, the importance of our agricultural working landscape to tourism, to recreation and to the identity of our State is beyond measure. One hundred and fifty years ago today, on May 15, 1862, with the stroke of President Abraham Lincoln's pen, the Department of Agriculture was established, with the purpose of acquiring information through ``scientific experiments'' and finding, collecting, and disseminating ``new and valuable seeds and plants.'' It is worth noting that the establishment of the USDA was the first in a series of the foundational acts of Congress that helped to develop our modern agricultural system.…”