March 19, 2013

National Agriculture Day Message Hello, this is Congressman Rick Crawford. Today, our country recognizes the contributions made by farm families across America with National Agriculture Day. Agriculture is Arkansas's number one industry and our First Congressional District is home to a great variety of agriculture interests. In the fertile Mississippi River Delta we grow cotton, rice, corn, soybeans, wheat and even peanuts. In stark contrast to the Delta stand the Ozark Foothills where we have poultry, cattle, dairy and timber producers. More rice is produced in our congressional district than any other district in the nation. In fact, our district is responsible half of all rice produced in the United States. Unpredictable weather, an ever changing market place and the continued need for investments in technology make farming a difficult job. Many farm families are just one crop failure away from being out of business. On this National Agriculture Day, I hope all Americans will take time to reflect upon the obstacles farmers face and tonight when you sit down to eat dinner, remember the people who made that meal possible. I would like to personally thank America's farm families for producing the safest, most abundant and reliable source of food on the planet. This is Congressman Rick Crawford, thank you for listening.