Pombo honored for support of agriculture

» May 12, 2004 «

Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Tracy) is the recipient of the American Farm Bureau Federation's Golden Plow Award. The award, which was presented by AFBF Vice President Steve Appel, honors members of Congress for distinguished service to American agriculture and for support of Farm Bureau policies.

"Throughout his tenure in the House, Rep. Pombo has been a strong advocate for American agriculture and an ardent defender of the rights of property owners," said Appel, who presented the award along with California Farm Bureau President Bill Pauli and several county Farm Bureau leaders from California.

"Richard Pombo has always been there with strong leadership on the key resources issues. We recognize and honor a member of Congress who has done a great job, not just for California agriculture, but for agriculture in the West and for all farmers and ranchers in the country," said Pauli. "As a rancher himself, he knows the issues and challenges facing agriculture in our nation."

Appel said that Pombo played "a leading role in advancing passage of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, which provides relief for rural communities that have been on the front lines and at risk whenever devastating wildfires break out."

In accepting the Golden Plow, Pombo thanked Farm Bureau and said he would treasure the award because it came from an organization that represents a deeply patriotic and committed sector of America. He then offered some words of caution.

"As a group of farmers and ranchers, we really want government to have less to do with our lives," said Pombo. "What prompted me to run for office in the first place was the fact that I was spending more time filling out paperwork and dealing with regulations. We really don't want the government involved in our business."

Pombo stated that farmers are a small minority of the total population and that they have to work together on the issues that are important.

"The vast majority of my colleagues on Congress represent urban areas," said Pombo, "They don't know what is happening in the real world of agriculture, so we have to work together."

The Golden Plow Award, which was created in 1988, consists of a polished bronze replica of the John Deere steel plow, mounted on a hardwood base.

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.