[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 123, 111th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

123 STAT. 3738
 
PROCLAMATION 8455--NOV. 20, 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.
BARACK OBAMA