"I need to start by simply thanking the producers . . . what you do each and every single day," said USDA Secretary Vilsack. "I don't think in this country we thank you all enough or as often as we should. I don't think we recognize the extraordinary productivity of our farmers, producers, ranchers and growers," Secretary Vilsack told those dairy producers who were attending the joint annual meeting of the National Milk Producers Federation and Dairy Management Inc. late last month.
"I think about the fact that, when we leave the grocery store in this country, there is more money in the wallet and pocket because our farmers are productive, we have such great diversity. We spend about 10 percent of our income for food. Anywhere else in the world, people spend 20 to 25 percent, or maybe as high as 50 percent, of their paycheck for food," he said in a commanding and grateful voice.
"That means Americans have this amazing freedom to go out and buy a nicer car, or live in a bigger home, put money aside for college for kids, or maybe have their retirement nest egg be a little bigger than it might otherwise be. It's an amazing flexibility and it's directly connected to agriculture," said the Iowa native.
"It's also true that less than 1 percent of America's population produces this extraordinary array of food. We often fail to realize that the rest of us who don't farm essentially have delegated the responsibility to feed our families to those in this room (farmers). That has freed the rest of us to consider other ways of making a living and pursuing our dreams," noted the ag secretary.
"Just 100 years ago or so, we would not have that liberty or freedom. American agriculture has been the linchpin of this great democracy and this great country. It is appropriate for us to acknowledge that and say thank you," said the USDA secretary.
"You have helped to make this country the great and powerful country it is today," he concluded.
(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2015
November 23, 2015
