January 23, 2017
It was a day of patriotism and of pomp of circumstance in Washington, DC on Friday. Complete with a big win for agriculture as the Rural Tractor Brigade represented one of the nation’s largest industries. A crowd stretched along the national mall under grey skies to watch Friday’s Inaugural Parade, complete with a line-up of colorful tractors representing America’s farmers and ranchers.
The Rural Tractor Brigade made the route down Pennsylvania Avenue from the U.S. Capitol building all the way to the White House.
“A grand slam for agriculture,” is how RFD-TV Founder and President Patrick Gottsch described the day. “We really connected with people all along the route. Mr. Trump gave us a high five. I think his son liked it better than anybody, his little boy.” RFD-TV organized the brigade and invited tractor manufacturers and leaders of our nation’s largest ag organizations to participate.
“It was an awesome day,” said Ron Moore, President of the American Soybean Association. “We waited a long time for the parade to start. But boy once we got started, the cheers we got when we drove those tractors around the corner was just unbelievable. It was wonderful the people in the crowd recognizing how important ag is to this country.”
“Agriculture represents a big chunk of America’s economy,” said John Weber, President of the National Pork Producers Council. “I think that’s where the connection needs to be made and I think this was a great event to start that process.”
“We’re just like everybody else in America,” Moore added. “America needs to be better and we’re working to be sure it’s better for not only agriculture, but every consumer in the United States.”
Read more and view photos of the event here.