[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 11, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E349]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING LES HARDESTY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CORY GARDNER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 11, 2014

  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Les Hardesty. Mr. 
Hardesty, a native of Colorado and leader in the dairy industry, has 
been a true visionary and unrivaled advocate for the local, Colorado, 
and national dairy industry.
  After Mr. Hardesty graduated from Colorado State University, he and 
his wife started Painted Prairie Dairy. He and his family were involved 
in that undertaking for thirty years. It was during that time that he 
and his family saw the need to educate people about the dairy industry. 
He built an education facility, the Cozy Cow Dairy in Windsor, 
Colorado, and used it as a showcase farm. The Cozy Cow dairy featured a 
visible milking parlor and provided an up-close experience for tens of 
thousands of visitors. Many families have been able to see the true 
face of the dairy industry because of Mr. Hardesty's efforts. Even 
though he was busy running the dairies, Mr. Hardesty still found time 
to become involved in dairy organizations and became a respected leader 
in many of them.
  His expertise in global dairy marketing and his understanding of the 
national dairy pricing system earned him a solid reputation among 
producers. His specialized experiences in dairy farm business, exports, 
global dairy issues, dairy production, dairy processing, as well as 
pricing issues and marketing techniques, made him a tremendous asset to 
our nation's dairy farms.
  Mr. Hardesty has been described as an open-minded man of great 
integrity with superior family values. He has given himself selflessly 
for the betterment of the dairy industry and agriculture in general. I 
am honored to recognize him today.

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