Deputy Secretary Harden: Welcome to USDA employees of course; but a special welcome to Mr. Stallman, and all of the Farm Bureau friends. We see you from time-to-time doing a lot of work together, but it's rare that we see so many of you together here, at USDA. So we're glad that you can join us. And this is a bitter sweet day, I think for all of us that Mr. Stallman has been such a great friend to agriculture, to farmers, and ranchers and landowners across the country, and certainly a great partner for USDA, so I just want to say thank you, Mr. Stallman, from myself on behalf of the work that we've done together, I really appreciate the relationship. And I will now turn it over to our Secretary who will have a little presentation and remarks.
Secretary Vilsack: We are here to honor a man who has dedicated a substantial portion of his life to American agriculture, and representing farmers, and ranchers and producers around the United States. Bob has been an incredible partner with those of us at USDA. In thinking about the last almost 7 years that I've been in this job, I thought of the contribution that Bob individually, and the Farm Bureau collectively has made. I first thought of our trade partnership, Bob; the incredible work that Farm Bureau did in encouraging our Congress to pass the Trade Promotion Authority Bill; the work that Farm Bureau continues to do to promote the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, recognizing the importance that has for American agriculture. I think without Farm Bureau's involvement, advocacy and educating members, we wouldn't be as far along on the trade side in terms of those agreements. Nor would we have had the success that we've seen in the last 5 or 6 years with significant increases in agricultural exports. So that certainly merits the acknowledgement that we give Bob today. And he has gone above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to trade.
In a friendship, in any relationship, there's always that moment where you test the relationship; and that's when I called Bob and asked him if he would be willing to chair the China Garden project. Fortunately, Bob didn't know fully what he was getting into, and immediately said yes and has done a good job of moving that project along. It has not been an easy task that I asked him to do, but it is an incredibly important task, as it relates to one of our most important trading partners in terms of agricultural products. So, Bob, again I want to thank you for taking on that responsibility and duty, and doing such a good job at it.
But it's not just trade, we just were visiting about some of the challenges that some of our producers now have, as we look at commodity prices that are not as robust as they have been, and without the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, we obviously might be in serious, serious shape. Just think about the fact that over 1.7 million producers who signed up for agricultural risk coverage or price loss coverage received from USDA almost $5 billion in additional assistance last October and November; the kind of resources that help producers stay in business. Or the 600,000 livestock producers who received nearly $5 billion of disaster assistance, following the passage of that farm bill. There would not have been a 2014 Farm Bill, but for Farm Bureau and Bob Stallman's leadership in encouraging Members of Congress to understand the significance and importance of getting the job done. I'm proud of that bill and I'm proud of the work that the Deputy and her team did in implementing the 2014 farm bill in record fashion, but I'm particularly pleased that we are getting relief and assistance to folks who need it, and who deserve it; and without Bob's help, we wouldn't have had the 2014 farm bill, and it wouldn't have been crafted I think, as creatively and innovatively as it was.
Then, there's the issue of disasters and droughts that occur on an annual basis. Last year, it was the Avian Influenza epidemic that impacted and affected so many producers in the upper mid-west and in the far-west; tremendous situation that our poultry producers faced. Again Farm Bureau was helping us get the message out about biosecurity; helping us to get the message out about the necessity of taking steps to identify AI as quickly as possible; encouraging us to find ways to provide assistance and help to those poultry producers, even though there wasn't a formal disaster program, again Bob and Farm Bureau stepping up and advocating. And who can forget the budget challenges that we've faced over the course of the last several years. Just before Bob came to my office this morning, I was looking at where we were relative to our budget in 2010, our first full year with the President's budget, and recognizing that we've been operating this place with less resource than we had in 2010, but never the less, Farm Bureau has been helpful in getting Congress to fund important work at USDA, particularly focusing on research and the opportunity for us to figure out ways to deal with some of the challenges that we face in agriculture.
So, this is a man, and this is an institution and an entity that has grown under his leadership. Bob was sharing with me, that when he took office 16 years ago, as President, Farm Bureau's membership was a little less than 5 million, now it's over 6 million. Think about that, think about that for just a second; there are hardly any, and I can't think of a farm group or farm organization that has seen significant growth in that 16 year period but Farm Bureau, and I think that reflects Bob's leadership, and the good work of President's and states around the country and the organization that Farm Bureau has become. So he has seen terrific growth in that 16 year period.
Prior to his 16 years of service here in Washington, DC as the main representative of Farm Bureau, he also represented the growers, producers and ranchers in Texas, as their President for 6 years. So he has dedicated 22 years of leadership responsibility to this organization.
Let me finish with a personal note about Bob. I will always remember Bob Stallman as a person, who I think, believed in second chances. When I got this job in 2009, I'm sure that there were some folks at Farm Bureau that had some questions about whether or not I was up to the task, and I probably didn't help things by not paying attention to Krysta Harden's advice to go to the Farm Bureau convention in 2009, wasn't one of my better decisions. That could have led to a relationship that was, and is fundamentally different than the relationship we have today. But Bob gave me a second chance, gave me an opportunity to come down the following year, which I have and I think I've come down to every farm bureau convention since then, and I've enjoyed the opportunity to visit with folks. And I think it's important in this town, particularly in relationships with politics and policy, the importance of giving people second chances to develop a relationship, and then taking advantage of that second chance and building a strong relationship, a professional relationship and I think a personal relationship.
So, Bob I want to thank you for giving me that second chance; I want to thank you for the extraordinary work that you've done with us on behalf of American farmers, ranchers and producers; and I want to thank you for an extraordinary career of leadership. I want to wish you and your family the best. You've got two beautiful daughters, you've got nine great grandchildren that you'll be able to spend a few more minutes with, and a wonderful spouse, and so this is an opportunity for us to say thank you. I want to present you and read to you this proclamation which I have signed, which declares today, January 6th, as Bob Stallman Appreciation Day.
The proclamation reads as follows: Where as Mr. Bob Stallman has provided American agriculture with exemplary leadership as President of the American Farm Bureau Federation for 16 years, as well as in other capacities; where as Mr. Stallman has worked tirelessly in support of American farmers and ranchers as they help feed the world, protect and preserve the environment, provide jobs and contribute to the nation's economy; whereas the United States Department of Agriculture is proud to partner with the American Farm Bureau Federation and other agricultural organizations that work with skill and commitment to strengthen rural American families and communities, and whereas Mr. Stallman's superb achievements on behalf of American producers will continue to benefit rural America, our nation, and the world for years to come. Now, therefore in recognition of Mr. Stallman's exceptional leadership and of his myriad outstanding contributions to American agriculture, I, Thomas J. Vilsack, Secretary of the United Stated Department of Agriculture do hereby proclaim January 6, 2016 as Bob Stallman appreciation Day. In witness where of I have hereunto set my hand on this 30th day of December 2015, the two-hundred fortieth year of Independence of the United States of America, and I signed it. Bob, thank you very much for all you have meant to American farmers and ranchers.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Stallman: Well thank you, Mr. Secretary. This was really a surprise when I first got the call about you proposing this. You and I both know that appreciation in this town is hard to come by on any day. But I am honored and I do appreciate it.
I appreciate more what it represents, and you know, first what it represents is the outstanding relationship Secretary Vilsack and I have had; working relationship, personal relationship over the seven years he's been here in office. That's really what makes things happen, and allows for good things to occur in this town is having good relationships, and I've appreciated the opportunity to build that relationship with the Secretary and Deputy Secretary Harden, I've known her for a long time also. Both Deputy Harden and the proclamation it talks about partnership, and really this is bigger than any individual. This is about the partnership between USDA and American Farm Bureau Federation. USDA was created in its early form in 1862, in 1887 was given more responsibilities in the sense of growing to what it is today.
Farm Bureau isn't that old, we started in 1919. But there has been no other Department of government that the American Farm Bureau Federation has worked closer with than the United States Department of Agriculture; and it makes sense because what we're about are farmers and ranchers, the rural economy, quality of life in rural areas, all of those things that spread across all of the missions that USDA has. And so it makes sense that we work together, and we've done that well over the years as an organization, between us and USDA.
Farm Bureau leaders come and go, political appointees come and go, you also develop very close relationships with the individuals that are career in USDA. I've has the great opportunity to, oh gosh I could go down the alphabet soup: ARS, ERS, Rural Development, conservation, NRCS, take the pick. Everything that you guys do from a careers perspective, we're involved in and I know our staff has developed a lot of outstanding relationships, long-lasting relationships at the career level.
I will tell the next guy Mr. Secretary, that his first job and first appointment ought to be with you to start developing that good personal relationship that existed between you and I when he comes on board. On a personal note, you and I have had an outstanding relationship. Yeah, I'm not withstanding the China Garden, but you know it's amazing understanding how our Chinese friends think, it's been a learning experience for me and now I realize some of the problems you have sometimes at a governmental level with conveying to them what our positions are. But it's all been good.
I will not have an office as of January 12th, but I assure you Mr. Secretary, wherever I have an office, even if I have to attach one to my equipment barn back down in Texas, that this proclamation will be displayed proudly as representative of the work we've done together, but also as a reminder of the friendship that we have. Thank you very much and I certainly appreciate this.
#
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).