Proclamation 6657—National Agriculture Day, 1994

The early days of spring mark the time when nature quickens its pace from winter to begin another season of vigorous growth. A green carpet of emerging leaves and sprouting crops unfolds from the shores of the Gulf of Mexico across the rest of this great land, as the advancing springtime Sun gently warms the Earth. We Americans owe much to this annual season of renewal, and citizens around the world join with us in eager anticipation of our land's rich harvest.

Our Nation's 20 million farmers, farmworkers, harvesters, processors, shippers, marketers, retailers, and equipment providers help to sustain our country's reputation as the breadbasket of the Earth. In 1992, American agriculture accounted for 18.5 percent of international agricultural trade, reflecting the quality and productivity that has made our produce the finest in the world. Hard-working Americans have long helped to place food on the tables of the hungry. Last year alone, the United States donated over $2 billion worth of food aid to those in need around the globe.

In addition to meeting the demands of the planet's vast population, our prodigious agricultural team contributes much to our national life, creating jobs and shaping the daily experiences of millions of Americans. Our Nation was built by farmers' steady hands, and we are forever indebted to these dedicated pioneers for their diligence and persistence.

National Agriculture Day is a celebration of the ongoing partnership between humanity and nature. Each day, we embrace new innovations in agricultural products and tools that widen consumer choice, create jobs, strengthen rural areas, and help to make the United States more competitive in the global economy. We express our deep appreciation to the agriculture community and, together, we hope for another bountiful season.

The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 163, has designated March 20, 1994, as "National Agriculture Day," and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this day.

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 20, 1994, as National Agriculture Day. I call on the people of the United States to recognize the members of our national food and fiber team, whose hard work has helped our Nation to grow and prosper. I encourage all Americans to show their appreciation for our plentiful and dependable food supplies through appropriate ceremonies and activities.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighteenth.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON