Farm Bureau praises Veneman for leadership, service

» November 15, 2004 «

Saying she has done a "truly incredible job" at the U.S. Agriculture Department, California Farm Bureau Federation President Bill Pauli praised departing Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman for her long service to American agriculture.

Secretary Veneman announced her resignation today after serving as secretary of agriculture throughout President Bush's first term.

"Ann Veneman has done a truly incredible job at USDA," Pauli said. "She has accomplished what she set out to do. She championed a Farm Bill that emphasized and encouraged farmers' ongoing stewardship efforts. She encouraged improved diets while protecting food safety, reliability and supply. She led American agriculture to a period of record farm incomes."

Veneman, a native of Modesto, previously served as California secretary of food and agriculture and as deputy secretary of USDA.

"While we will miss having someone of Ann Veneman's experience at the helm of USDA, we look forward to working with the next secretary of agriculture," Pauli said. "We believe the next secretary must emphasize border security, making certain that American farms and ranches remain protected from pests and diseases. The USDA must also continue to emphasize nutrition, encouraging Americans to eat five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

"We know that President Bush will appoint a new secretary of agriculture who will continue to support programs that maintain the farming way of life and the jobs it supports."

Pauli said that throughout her tenure at USDA, Veneman has remained accessible to farmers and ranchers.

"She has consistently served agriculture well, and we wish her continued success in her future endeavors," he said.

The California Farm Bureau Federation is the state's largest farm organization, representing more than 89,000 families statewide.

Contact: Dave Kranz
Phone: 916/561-5550
news@cfbf.com

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item.