National Agriculture Day, 2021

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 10158 of March 22, 2021

National Agriculture Day, 2021

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On National Agriculture Day, we recognize the unique
and irreplaceable value that farmers, ranchers,
foresters, farmworkers, and other agricultural stewards
have contributed to our Nation's past and present.
America's agriculture sector safeguards our Nation's
lands through sustainable management; ensures the
health and safety of animals, plants, and people;
provides a safe and abundant food supply; and
facilitates opportunities for prosperity and economic
development in rural America.

Over the last year, workers and other leaders across
the agriculture sector have stepped up to ensure a
stable food supply in the face of incredible challenges
prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmworkers, who
have always been vital to our food system, continued to
grow, harvest, and package food, often at great
personal risk. Local farmers helped to meet their
communities' needs by selling food directly to
consumers. Small meat processors increased their
capacity as demand for their services skyrocketed.
Restaurants found creative ways to bring food to
members of their communities. Grocers and grocery
workers also navigated new models, such as curbside
pickup and online sales.

These collective efforts helped get food to the
millions of adults and children in America experiencing
nutrition insecurity. Programs such as the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program; the Special Supplemental
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children;
school meals; and others focused on eliminating
nutrition insecurity play an integral role in making
sure that every family has enough food on the table.

As we overcome the pandemic and build back better, we
will advance an agriculture sector that works for
everyone. When I took office, I made a commitment
alongside Vice President Kamala Harris to put racial
equity at the forefront of our Administration's
priorities. For generations, Black, Indigenous, and
other farmers of color have contributed to sustaining
this Nation. They fed their communities, gave the
country new food products, and nourished communities
with rich food traditions. Yet for generations they
have faced the harmful effects of systemic racism. On
this National Agriculture Day, I remain determined to
address racial inequity and create an equitable space
for all to participate in the great American enterprise
of agriculture.

I also made a commitment to tackle the climate crisis.
Farmers, ranchers, and foresters play a critical role
in combating climate change. From sequestering carbon
in the soil to producing renewable energy on farms, we
will continue to innovate and create new revenue
streams for farmers and ranchers while building a
resilient agriculture sector.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 23,
2021, as National Agriculture Day. I call upon all
Americans to join me in recognizing and reaffirming our
commitment to and appreciation for our country's
farmers, ranchers, foresters, farmworkers, and those
who work in the agriculture sector across the Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-second day of March, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
fifth.