[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 10, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN RECOGNITION OF THE MIYA FAMILY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DAVID G. VALADAO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 10, 2014

  Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Miya 
Family for being named the 2014 Agriculturalist of the Year by the 
Kings County Farm Bureau. The Miya Family's history exemplifies the 
hard work and dedication of California's farmers.
  The Miya Family, of Hanford, California, has been farming in Kings 
County since the early 1900s. The family farm was started by 
Katsunosuke Miya, a recent immigrant from Japan, who settled in Kings 
County in 1914 and first started working at Vierra Ranch in Hanford. By 
1920, Katsunosuke began farming property for Lacey Milling Company. In 
1932, Katsunosuke was ready to purchase his own property and began 
farming 40 acres independently. This was the first establishment of the 
Miya's farming operation in Kings County. By the late 1930s, the Miya 
family had expanded their operation to include over 200 acres of land, 
growing and drying apricots and peaches, as well as cultivating Muscat 
grapes and oats for horses on the farm.
  Katsunosuke built a great foundation for his eight children, but with 
the start of World War II, the family, including Katsunosuke's two sons 
Harry and Kiyoshi, was forced to evacuate to the Fresno Assembly Center 
and was later moved to Jerome, Arkansas. By 1946, Harry and Kiyoshi had 
both returned to Hanford to join their parents growing walnuts, grapes, 
apricots, peaches, and cotton. Harry and Kiyoshi worked side by side 
with their father and later became partners, taking over the family 
business that their parents had worked hard to build.
  In 1976, Miya Farms, Inc. was established by Harry and Kiyoshi, who 
worked together on the farm for almost 60 years. Today, Harry's 
children run the daily operations at Miya farms, growing walnuts and 
pistachios. The Miya family has persevered and thrived and truly 
embodies what it means to achieve the American Dream.
  Mr. Speaker it is with great pride that I congratulate the Miya 
Family for being named the Kings County Farm Bureau's 2014 
Agriculturalist of the Year.

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