House Resolution 106 - Introduced HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 106 BY HEIN , H. MILLER , PAUSTIAN , BEARINGER , BEST , BYRNES , COWNIE , DEYOE , GRASSLEY , HOLZ , KLEIN , MAXWELL , MOMMSEN , B. MOORE , OURTH , STUTSMAN , WILLS , and WORTHAN A Resolution recognizing National Agriculture Day. 1 WHEREAS, Iowa has 88,500 farms and 129,644 farm 2 operators with more than 97 percent of Iowa farms owned 3 by families; and 4 WHEREAS, Iowa agriculture accounted for nearly $30 5 billion in direct sales in recent years; and 6 WHEREAS, according to a report issued in May 2015 7 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the 8 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 9 cooperation with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and 10 Land Stewardship, Iowa again ranks 1st in the nation in 11 corn for grain production, hog and pig inventory and 12 commercial hog slaughter, and egg production; and 13 WHEREAS, according to the USDA report, Iowa ranks 14 2nd in soybean production and red meat production, 6th 15 in the number of certified organic farms, 7th in all 16 cattle and calves inventory, 8th in cheese production 17 and number of turkeys raised, and 10th in all sheep and 18 lambs inventory and wool production; and 19 WHEREAS, Iowa ranks 2nd nationally in the number of 20 farmers markets per capita; and 21 WHEREAS, Iowa is the nation’s top ethanol producer 22 with 42 ethanol refineries with the capacity to 23 produce nearly 3.8 billion gallons annually and 1st 24 in biodiesel production, with 13 biodiesel facilities 25 -1- LSB 6044HH (2) 86 da/rj 1/ 3

H.R. 106 and the capacity to produce 320 million gallons 1 annually; and 2 WHEREAS, March 15, 2016, is National Agriculture 3 Day, dedicated to increasing the public awareness of 4 agriculture’s vital role in our society and recognizing 5 this nation’s unique role in producing food and fiber 6 for a growing world population; and 7 WHEREAS, National Agriculture Day, first 8 celebrated in 1973, is a day set aside when producers, 9 agricultural associations, corporations, universities, 10 government agencies, and countless others across this 11 nation gather to recognize and celebrate the abundance 12 of food and fiber produced by American agriculture; and 13 WHEREAS, National Agriculture Day is an opportunity 14 to encourage persons to understand how food, fuel, 15 fiber, and pharmaceuticals are produced, to appreciate 16 the function of farmers and ranchers in producing 17 abundant and affordable supplies of food, fuel, fiber, 18 and pharmaceuticals, to acknowledge the essential 19 role of agriculture in maintaining a vibrant economy, 20 and to allow the next generation to consider career 21 opportunities in agriculture; and 22 WHEREAS, this year’s theme for National Agriculture 23 Day is “Agriculture: Stewards of a Healthy 24 Planet”; and 25 WHEREAS, National Agriculture Day is associated 26 with a national essay contest and a number of 27 events, including events conducted on Capitol Hill in 28 Washington, D.C., including at the Senate Hart Office 29 Building; NOW THEREFORE, 30 -2- LSB 6044HH (2) 86 da/rj 2/ 3

H.R. 106 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 1 That the House of Representatives recognizes March 15, 2 2016, as National Agriculture Day, and encourages all 3 Iowans as residents of one of the leading agricultural 4 states in the nation, to commemorate and celebrate that 5 day and the invaluable contributions made by Iowa’s 6 farmers; and 7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this 8 resolution be sent to the Agriculture Council of 9 America. 10 -3- LSB 6044HH (2) 86 da/rj 3/ 3