Vilsack Celebrates Ag Day

WASHINGTON (DTN) -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack invoked the spirit of President Abraham Lincoln, who founded the Agriculture Department in 1862, in a National Ag Day celebration on the National Mall in Washington on Tuesday.

"I wonder what Abe would think" about the sight of all the modern farm equipment on the mall, Vilsack said as he looked out at a display organized by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

"I think he would reaffirm his commitment to the strength of agriculture" and the American capacity to "invent and create," Vilsack said.

In an apparent recognition of the current divide between urban and rural America, Vilsack said a united country can do anything, an apparent reference to Lincoln's famous pre-Civil War statement, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

While some farm leaders and Republicans have complained about the current farm situation with rising input costs, Vilsack noted the U.S. economy is "growing at the fastest rate" in the world, including China.

The modern machinery displayed on the mall shows the U.S. commitment to meeting the current challenges, Vilsack said. Turning to an FFA student he invited to the stage, Vilsack said, "The greatest days of U.S agriculture are about to occur."

Lincoln, he said, would be excited about both the climate-smart commodity strategy the Biden administration is promoting and that the United States is helping other countries address climate change. Finally, Vilsack said, Lincoln would be pleased that agriculture is expanding to urban rooftops.

Today is "a great day to celebrate. We're together, we're rising to the challenge," Vilsack said before he and Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Jewel Bronaugh left to tour farm equipment exhibits.

Jerry Hagstrom can be reached at jhagstrom@nationaljournal.com

Follow him on Twitter @hagstromreport

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