[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 119 (Monday, July 27, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING JIM BARBOUR, NAPA COUNTY AGRICULTURALIST OF THE YEAR

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                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 27, 2015

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jim 
Barbour, my longtime friend, and the recipient of the Napa County Farm 
Bureau's 2014 Agriculturalist of the Year Award. Mr. Barbour has been, 
and continues to be, a tireless advocate and fierce supporter of 
agriculture in the Napa Valley. It is therefore appropriate that we 
recognize and thank Mr. Barbour today for his relentless dedication to 
his craft and effort to promote agriculture in Napa County.
  Jim Barbour was born in San Francisco, moved to the Napa Valley as a 
child and grew up in Rutherford on his family's ranch along Highway 29. 
His education in agriculture began at an early age; the family grew 
prunes on their 30-acre property as well as Gamay, Mondeuse and Petit 
Bouschet wine grapes. He attended UC Davis where he acquired a 
bachelor's degree in viticulture and embarked on a lifelong career in 
plant science.
  In the span of nearly four decades, Jim Barbour has planted and 
managed some of the Napa Valley's most highly regarded vineyards, 
collaborating with its leading winemakers and playing a crucial role in 
the creation of some of its finest wines. As proprietor of Barbour 
Vineyards Management and Development he has been able to craft, shape 
and produce exceptional vintages, as well as his own Barbour Wines.
  Mr. Barbour has made a lifelong commitment to his craft as an 
advocate for responsible and sustainable farming practices. He is a 
long time donor to Family House of San Francisco, the Make-A-Wish 
Foundation and the local community schools within Napa Valley. Mr. 
Barbour was also chairman of Napa Farm Bureau's ``Shaken, not 
deterred!'' rebuilding campaign after the South Napa Earthquake of 
August 2014.
  Mr. Speaker, Jim Barbour's leadership in the wine industry and 
viticultural advancement is greatly appreciated by the entire Napa 
community and we wish him further success in an already distinguished 
career.

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