Madam President, agriculture is the lifeblood of my home state of Kansas. It drives our economy, but more importantly, it offers our citizens a way of life that is unique in today's world.

Within that industry I often encounter thoughtful, committed men and women who work every day to raise their families, run their businesses, serve their neighbors, and provide a better future for the next generation. Those qualities are found in Steve Baccus, who for the past 17 years has served on the Kansas Farm Bureau Board of Directors and for the last 12 served as its president.

Kansas Farm Bureau is our state's largest general farm organization, with nearly 105,000 members. Under Steve's leadership, the organization has influenced policy and politics, promoted rural values, and worked to show an increasingly urban population how food is produced and why technology is indispensable to feeding a hungry world.

Steve is a native Kansan, a veteran, a husband, a father of five, and a grandfather. His fourth-generation family farm in Ottawa County produces wheat, corn, soybeans, and occasionally a sunflower or a bit of grain sorghum.

I met Steve now many years ago when he was on his local farm bureau board, and we grew to be friends over the years. He was always someone I could count on to give trustworthy advice and counsel.

As agricultural issues repeatedly come to the forefront of debate in Washington, DC--from trade and energy, to the economy, overregulation, and the farm bill--Steve has worked to make certain the voices of Kansas farmers and ranchers are heard in the nation's capital.

Steve's passion for improving the lives of Kansans and advocating for the future of our rural state has always impressed me. His service on the Kansas Farm Bureau board was inspired by Steve's deeply held belief that there is a better future ahead for Kansas agriculture and for our state. He has always been selfless in his service, often taking time to drive across all 105 Kansas counties over the years to update members of the farm bureau on issues that impact their lives and the lives of their family members in rural Kansas and across our state. KFB members always knew where to find Steve and felt comfortable seeking his help.

In addition to his service as president of the Kansas Farm Bureau, Steve has led multiple boards and organizations, including the Board of the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, whose board he currently chairs. He has led trade missions, presented testimony before Congress and state legislative committees, and has championed the cause of agriculture for much of his adult life.

Steve embodies many traits we can all admire, including a deep love for the great state of Kansas and gratitude for the many hard-working families who provide food, fuel, and fiber on which Americans and the world rely. These traits have earned Steve the respect of his peers across the country. Steve has been a true public servant to agriculture, and he did it for all the right reasons. Not often do you find someone who has such good and clear intentions of service. Kansas farmers and ranchers found that in Steve Baccus in spades. He is a tremendous role model for all of us who want to make a difference in the lives of others.

Steve, we congratulate you for your service and wish you and your wife Patricia well in the next chapter of your life as you retire as president of Kansas Farm Bureau.