Kansas Cold

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the farmers and ranchers whose work does not stop. Even in the face of extreme freezing temperatures and abnormal snowfall, Kansans are standing strong and getting the job done.

The Big First District of Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the country. It is home to more than 60,000 farms and ranches and is made up of farmers, ranchers, feed lot managers, nutritionists, ethanol producers, ag lenders, millers, and agribusiness owners who feed, clothe, and fuel the world.

I grew up in the Big First, and I spent thousands of hours on a tractor in fields and on horseback doctoring cattle in our family's feed yard. I know well agriculture's working conditions are demanding on a good day but especially so when our business partner, Mother Nature, is as unforgiving as she has been lately.

In the past few days, parts of Kansas have seen 15-plus inches of snow, electricity outages for days, and road closures that stretch from every corner of the State. But those who stand with snow up to their knees in the depths of winter or haul water in the drought of summer know agriculture does not take days off. In fact, in weather like this, producers work even harder to keep livestock and commodities safe and secure. No matter the temperature, they go to work long before most of us are awake and stay out until many of us have already laid down our heads at night.

They are the people volunteering their time to move snow at nearby feed lots so cattle can continue to be fed and watered. They are the people hauling new cows on their truck floorboards out of snowbanks and onto dryer ground. They are the people breaking ice at all hours of the day. They are the men and women staying up through the night so a baby animal gets a shot at life, a piece of equipment is ready to go early the next morning, the neighboring producer has the help they need to milk their herds, and so people like you and I have a safe and secure food supply.

As many across the country have learned in the past few years, our food does not come from a grocery store shelf. The importance of agriculture in the food supply chain cannot be overstated. This supply chain represents millions of people working every day in the U.S. It begins with farmers, ranchers, and growers, and it includes food processors and manufacturers, millers, shippers, transportation workers, and, finally, those working in grocery stores and restaurants all across the country. Each of these people are vital in ensuring we have food on our plates.

While most of us in the Big First of Kansas know how important agriculture is, I know that message can sometimes get lost on the way to the grocery store. So on behalf of all of Kansans and Americans, I sincerely thank the farmers, ranchers, and producers who supply our food, fuel, and fiber. I thank them for pulling the baby calf out of the snowbank and nursing it back to life. I thank them for busting ice early and feeding hay late. I thank them for putting the needs of their livestock before themselves. I thank them for their never-ending, back- breaking days. I thank them especially on cold days for working so hard for the extra hours and extra strength. Their efforts keep all of us warm and fed.

It is an honor to represent them in the House of Representatives on the House Agriculture Committee. May God bless them and keep everybody safe.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source