National Farm-City Week, 2009

Proclamation 8455 of November 20, 2009

National Farm-City Week, 2009

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Our Nation's farm and ranch families supply many of the
basic necessities of our daily life. They manage a
large portion of our country's fertile land base, and
they are caretakers of our valuable natural resources
and diverse ecosystems. Their connections with urban
and suburban communities are critical to our economy
and to the nourishment of our people. During National
Farm-City Week, we express gratitude for the
contributions of our Nation's farmers and ranchers, and
we rededicate ourselves to providing all Americans with
access to healthy food, and thus, a healthy future.

Pioneered by Native Americans, agriculture was our
Nation's first industry. For agriculture to thrive in
the 21st century, we must continue to cultivate the
relationships between farmers and rural businesses and
their partners and customers in cities and towns.
American farmers and ranchers are proud to grow the
food, feed, fuel, and fiber that enhance our national
security and prosperity, and remain steadfast stewards
of the land they love. We must ensure that farming is
maintained as an economically, socially, and
environmentally sustainable way of life for future
generations.

This Thanksgiving season, we celebrate farms of every
size that produce fruits, vegetables, dairy, and
livestock indispensable to the health of our families.
We also recognize the vital ties between our urban and
suburban communities and their local farmers through
regional food systems, farmers markets, and community
gardens. During National Farm-City Week, we celebrate
the bounty of America, and we honor the commitment of
those who grow, harvest, and deliver agricultural goods
to feed our country and grow our economy.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 the week ending on
Thanksgiving Day of each year as National Farm-City
Week. I call on Americans as they gather with their
families and friends to reflect on the accomplishments
of all who dedicate their lives to promoting our
Nation's agricultural abundance and environmental
stewardship.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two
thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.