 for this trio in the sale and will save the money for his college education. And on the opportunity to meet President Reagan, Jim said, it's good to meet the president anytime, but especially through 4-H. Mr. President, Jim Liederberg. The sixth Grand Champion Weather in the Illinois State Fair Junior Livestock Show is owned by Noelle Flussner, 17. Noelle is the daughter of Nolan and Catherine Flussner of Augusta in Hancock County in western Illinois, Mr. President. This is the sixth year in a row that she's shown chief of the fair. Noelle's winning weather is a 132-pound purebred Suffolk named Peewee Herman. The money she'll get that she hopes to use the record for college. The State Fair Junior Livestock Show is owned by Kevin Killie, who's 14. Kevin is the son of David and Janet Killie of Roseville in Warren County also in western Illinois. The winning barrel, her, weighed in a two-lightest pig in the heavyweight hamster clags. Noelle will complain if he breaks the record for the barrel tomorrow. He probably will go to the University of Illinois and we hope will go back to the farm. Mr. President, Kevin Killie. Steer in the Illinois State Fair is owned by Ron Elliott, 14, son of Bill and Elaine Elliott of Greenview in Menard County in southern Illinois. The winning steer is Frosty, a Keanina, Maine, Anjou, Angus, Crossbred, weighing 1,330 pounds. The average daily gain is 2.2 pounds. Ron is an honor student, president of a freshman class at Greenview High School and a member of the FFA and is going to use the money from the steer for college. Mr. President, Ron Elliott. Mr. President, we like to believe that you're attending the finest state fair in the nation. Last year, a million people visited this fair. President, this is agriculture day at the state fair, but since last week it's all gone already. Thank you. Thank you all. Governor Thompson, Secretary Ling, ladies and gentlemen, I look out at you 4-Hers and future farmers of America. I see your proud faces and I think of all you know about farming and livestock. And I look in particular at these prize winners back here and I think to myself, I could use some of you out on the ranch. There's nothing I enjoy more than, well, getting out here in the homeland and one of the great things about being at this state fair is that maybe I can tell a joke that they wouldn't understand so well in Washington. It has to do with an old fellow who had a piece of creek-bottomed land, never had done anything with it. And he got ambitious and started in. And he got the brush all cleared and he hauled the rocks away and then he started fertilizing and cultivating and planting. And finally he had really a beautiful garden spot there. And one Sunday morning after the church service he was so proud he asked the minister if he wouldn't stop by and see what he'd done. Well, after church the minister did come by and the first thing he saw was the corn and he said, I've never seen corn so tall, my, how the Lord has blessed this land. And then he saw some melons. He said, I've never seen melons that long. He said, oh, the Lord has just blessed the Lord. This is just so wonderful. When he went on that way, through everything, squash and beans and everything else, the old boy was getting pretty fidgety. The minister kept giving the Lord the credit and finally he interrupted and said to Reverend, I wish you could have seen this place when the Lord was doing it by himself. I've always liked that story because it makes a good point. God gave us this great and good land, but it's up to us to make it flourish, to preserve its freedom, to see it grow and become a nation of greatness. In a few minutes I'll be talking to those people out on the grandstand about the future of American farming. I thought I'd talk to you for a moment about the future more generally because you've got more future than most of us have. And I thought I might begin my remarks about the future by talking about the past, in particular the part of the American story that I've witnessed in my own lifetime. When I was about your age, if you can take your minds back that far, America was in the midst of the Great Depression and I know you've known of recession since, but I can assure you to those of us who went through the Great Depression, there was never anything like it. The unemployment rate was virtually a fourth or more of the workforce in America. And I approached college and knew that I was going to have to work my way through. We were poor, but you weren't so aware of it because the government didn't keep coming around and telling you you were. So I had to work my way through college and I was kind of lucky I had a summer job all the way lifeguarding to get some money to start back to school and then I had jobs on the campus. As a matter of fact one of the better jobs I've ever had was on the campus. I washed dishes in a girl's dormitory. It was a tragic time. Your friends, their parents, out of work, America's future looked grim. But here it is just a half a century later, the American people enjoying the standard of living undreamed of during the 30s or even during the boom years of the 20s before the Great Depression. And in these 50 years, employment in America has risen by tens of millions. Real disposable income per person has grown up by over 200% and life expectancy has increased by more than 14 years. As a matter of fact, I've already lived some 20 years longer than my life expectancy when I was born. That's a source of annoyance to a number of people. Just think. Think of all we take for granted today that didn't even used to exist. Things like television, computers and space flights. If you're looking at a fellow who actually remember what a thrill it was to hear that Charles Lindberg had landed in Paris flying that little single-engine plane across the Atlantic all by himself the first time it had been done. Well, this same fellow also happens to remember what it was like to gather around the TV set and watch the first Americans walk on the moon. Imagine it from Charles Lindberg from moon landings in a single lifetime. I can remember my first ride in an automobile and I can remember why I'm an optimist. But what about your generation? You wonder what young people are. You stand on the verge of a new age. Today, freedom is on the march throughout the world. Just 10 years ago, for example, there were a few democracies in Latin America. Now 90% of the people in Latin America live in democracies or countries that are well on their way in that direction. Peace itself is moving to assure footing with arms talks and the research in our strategic defense initiative. Our economy is growing as America leads the world in a technological revolution, a revolution ranging from tiny microchips to voyages through the outer reaches of the solar system, from home computers to agricultural breakthroughs like new disease-resistant crops. For those of you who are going into farming, the future is especially bright as the world population continues to grow, creating new markets. All this awaits you. Of course, you'll face challenges every generation. Has to face challenges as it comes of age. But you need only to be true to the values that made our nation great. I know when you're young, believe it or not, your parents and the others that are older, they remember very clearly what it was like and how they felt the same as it as you do. But there's a tendency to throw aside old values belonging to an earlier generation. Don't discard those values that have proven over the time, in a period of time, their value. Just believe in those values that made our nation great and keep faith, family, hard work, and above all, freedom. Well, I know it's time for me to get ready to speak to that other audience outside. I want you to know that I take advantage of you because I appreciate it having this time with you and I try to stretch it out a little bit. I just want to again thank you, all of you, and God bless you. Just backstage here that the idea for FarmAid took form. Government assistance has its limits. But the help and hands of America, the volunteer spirit knows no bounds. These are trying times for many corners. But the future can be bright. State government is working towards that future. The task is on the future of rural and rural farm states we have a special pride. Farmers help other farmers. And state borders don't get in the way. And backstage this morning the president of the United States said a simple thank you to the proud farmers of Illinois. To our native son, ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States. Story, I always wonder if you're crazy or could that chicken have three legs? Farmers is yet. I raise him that way. Well, he said why? Well, he said we in effect marginal farmland, fragile land that was undergoing rapid erosion. By the end of next year that figure will rise to nearly 10 million. And when the program is complete to almost 45 million acres. That's 45 million acres out of production and protecting the environment. 45 million acres conserved for future generations not used to force crop prices down in our time. I mentioned a moment ago with bumper harvest here in the Midwest. Storage is scarce. And some producers fear lack of space in elevators or farm bins will make their crops ineligible for price supports. Well, I've directed secretary of agriculture, Lynn, to make certain that grain is always looking for a better job. I'd be honest with you if I had him there. A brief time in Chicago, please.