Producers Working Hard for America

Floor Speech

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Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the farmers and ranchers whose work does not stop.

Even in the face of extreme freezing temperatures this month, the likes of which we have not seen in decades, Kansas stood strong and got the job done.

The big First District of Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the country. The district is home to more than 60,000 farms and is made up of farmers, ranchers, feedlot managers, nutritionists, ethanol producers, ag lenders, and agribusiness owners who feed, fuel, and clothe the world.

I grew up in Quinter, and I spent thousands of hours on a tractor in fields and on horseback, doctoring cattle in our family's feed yard. I know well agriculture's working conditions are demanding on a good day, but especially so when our business partner, Mother Nature, is as unforgiving as she has been lately.

In the past month, Kansas spent 13 consecutive days with temperatures below freezing. This is a stretch of freezing temperatures we have not seen in our State for nearly 40 years.

But those who stand with snow up to their knees in the depths of winter or haul water in the drought of summer know agriculture does not take days off. No matter the temperature, our ag producers head to work long before most of us are awake and stay out until many of us have already laid our heads down at night.

They are people like Cody and Ashley Bornholdt of Inman, who bust ice by hand at all hours so their cattle have access to water and are still able to joke that after several days of negative temperatures, zero degrees feels like a heat wave.

They are people like Gary Capoun of Alma, who delivers baby calves and hauls them on the floorboard of his pickup to someplace warmer where they can be bottle-fed to ensure that they get the nutrients needed to grow and survive in the wind chills.

They are the men and women staying up through the night so a baby animal gets a shot at life, a piece of equipment is ready to go early the next morning, the neighboring producer has the help they need to milk their herd, and so people like you and I have a safe and secure food supply.

As many across the country learned this last spring, our food does not come from a grocery store shelf. The importance of the agriculture and food supply chain cannot be overstated. This supply chain represents millions of people working every day in the U.S. It begins with farmers, ranchers, and growers, and it includes food processors and manufacturers, shippers, transportation workers, and, finally, those working in the grocery stores and restaurants. Each of these people is vital in ensuring we have food on our plates.

While most of us in the ``Big First'' of Kansas know how important agriculture is, I know that message can sometimes be lost on the way to the grocery store. So on behalf of Kansans and all Americans, I share a sincere thank-you to the farmers, ranchers, and producers who supply our food, fuel, and fiber.

Thank you. Thank you for pulling the baby calf out of the snowbank and nursing it back to life. Thank you for busting ice early and feeding hay late. Thank you for putting the needs of your livestock before yourselves. Thank you for your never-ending, backbreaking days. Thank you for, especially on cold days, working so hard for the extra hours and extra strength. Your efforts feed us and keep us warm, too.

It is an honor to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives and on the House Agriculture Committee. May God bless you.

Celebrating National FFA Week

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Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I also rise today to celebrate National FFA Week.

The national FFA organization was founded by a group of young farmers in 1928 as the Future Farmers of America. Their mission was to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding the world.

Today, more than 760,000 blue corduroy jacket-wearing FFA members in more than 8,700 chapters across the country, and more than 9,600 members in 220 chapters in Kansas alone, are still working hard to advance our Nation's most critical industry, food and agriculture.

These members are our future farmers, ranchers, engineers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, scientists, communicators, and businesspeople. They are the next generation of leaders.

This week, they will celebrate National FFA Week as a long-held tradition during George Washington's birthday to respect agriculture's heritage and recognize its future.

As a past chapter FFA president from Quinter, Kansas, and a proud FFA alumnus, I am honored to join nearly 80 of my colleagues to introduce H. Res. 150, expressing support for the designation of February 20 to February 27, 2021, as National FFA Week, recognizing the important role of the National FFA Organization in providing the next generation of leaders who will change the world, and celebrating 50 years of National FFA Alumni and Supporters.

Kansas FFA and the National FFA Organization have had a profound impact on me. FFA taught me belonging when I put on my FFA jacket the first time, responsibility when caring for my family's livestock in the bitter winters and drought-ridden summers, and pride in sharing about the organization I love on the House floor today.

Because of FFA and the next generation of agriculture, I know our brightest days are ahead.

Happy National FFA Week.

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