[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 101 (Thursday, July 27, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF JOHN HARRIS FOR BEING NAMED THE 2006 AGRICULTURIST OF 
                 THE YEAR BY THE CALIFORNIA STATE FAIR

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2006

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor John Harris of 
Coalinga, CA, the recipient of the 2006 California State Fair 
Agriculturist of the Year Award.
  John has been a lifelong farmer, businessman and Fresno County 
resident. He graduated from University of California, Davis, where he 
received a bachelor of science degree in agricultural production in 
1965. He served as an officer in the United States Army from 1966 to 
1968 and returned to the family's farming operation in 1968.
  Becoming a true icon for California agriculture, John Harris strived 
for excellence since day one at the family farm. Currently, he runs an 
extremely diversified company growing over a dozen crops, feeding 
approximately 200,000 cattle a year, which are processed at Harris 
Ranch and sold throughout the west. In addition to his farming and 
cattle business, John Harris oversees the well-known Harris Ranch 
Restaurant and Inn located in the outskirts of the city of Coalinga in 
west Fresno County. As an avid horse-racing supporter, John also 
manages a large thoroughbred breeding farm and racing stable. John 
Harris is committed to bringing acclamation to the California's 
thoroughbred horse-raising industry. Mr. Harris is certainly a man who 
exemplifies an extraordinary ability to embark on new endeavors and be 
very successful at bringing many projects to fruition.
  Aside from his businessman talents, John is a strong philanthropic 
supporter of his community and region as a whole. He is a member of 
many local community boards and contributes immensely to local groups 
and organizations with various missions to enhance the quality of life 
of Valley residents. Some of these include the National Beef Board, the 
California Beef Council, the California Cattlemen's Association, and 
the Pacific Legal Foundation. Some of the community organizations he 
has contributed to include the Fresno Metropolitan Museum and the 
University of California at Davis, specifically the Veterinary School.
  John Harris is a living legacy of what California agriculture should 
strive to be as an industry in order to coexist with other booming 
industries and our environment. He works hard to incorporate high 
technology innovations to his business practices to protect the air and 
the environment as much as possible. All the trucks used in his feedlot 
and meat packing plant run on biodiesel and both the feedlot and the 
meat-packing plant are state-of-the-art model buildings for the 
industry.
  John Harris is a man of integrity, honesty and compassion. He 
genuinely cares for his community and is willing to share his vast 
knowledge with others. In addition, he and I share the same passion for 
the well-being of California's Central Valley. For this and so much 
more, I am honored to consider John Harris as a friend and certainly 
commend him for all his accomplishments and extend my most sincere 
congratulations for receiving this prestigious award from the 
California State Fair.

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