US Presidency
1965

Today I am sending to the Congress my agricultural message. It is a message for all farmers and ranchers, both large and small. It is a message for all of rural America. In the Texas of my boyhood, farming was the backbone of our economy. This message that I am sending to Congress today makes it very clear that the farmer and the agricultural community are still most important in the American way of life. But this message is not only for our Nation's farmers and those who live in our rural areas. This is a message for all Americans who benefit from our unparalleled harvest of plenty. Food today is our best bargain. It is right and it is proper that a grateful Nation should properly reward those who make possible the food that sustains us all. In this message today, I make the following recommendations: First, the appointment of a blue ribbon commission of Americans to assist in adapting our farm programs to the needs of tomorrow and the 20th century.