[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 5832]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO BOYD STEWART

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, on March 16, 2003, my boyfriend, Boyd 
Stewart, of Olema, California, in Marin County will celebrate his 100th 
birthday. Born on a dairy ranch in the rural town of Nicasio on March 
16, 1903, Mr. Stewart has been active in ranching and community issues 
his entire life.
  After graduating from the Nicasio Elementary School with a student 
body of 17, Boyd attended Tamalpais High School where he rode a horse 
to San Geronimo and then boarded the steam train to Mill Valley, where 
there were cows grazing in the town center. Later, he attended Stanford 
University, earning money as a relief milker at the Palo Alto dairies 
and doing far better than his peers who were mowing lawns for cash. He 
left Stanford to run the family dairy when his father was killed by a 
horse.
  In 1923, Boyd married Joseffa Conrad, a music teacher whom he met on 
the steps of Tamalpais High School when returning to see a favorite 
teacher. Joseffa died in 1980 at the age of 78. Today, daughter Jo Ann 
Stewart, granddaughter Amanda Wisby, and great grandson Stewart 
Campbell reside at the family ranch where, by the way, the two women 
run the business.
  Over the years, Boyd has been an advocate for progressive ranching 
practices which many of his peers greeted with skepticism. Early on, he 
realized that overgrazing could destroy the land they relied on and 
that sound environmental practices would enhance their work. Boyd 
worked closely with farm advisors from UC Cooperative Extension and 
continues to be a strong supporter of measures to preserve the 
beautiful open spaces of Marin County so that we can preserve 
agriculture and the community's quality of life.
  In 1932, Boyd moved to the present Stewart ranch where he lives in a 
farmhouse that was built in 1864. In 1935, he began producing grade A 
milk which meets the purest standards for drinking. His daughter, Jo 
Ann, took over operations in 1950; and in 1972, the ranch switched from 
dairy cattle to beef.
  Horses have also been a part of the Stewart ranch's operations. In 
1976, Boyd won the Morgan Man of the Year Award for establishing a now 
defunct Morgan horse breeding farm at Point Reyes National Seashore.
  As an early supporter of Point Reyes National Seashore, Boyd was an 
advocate for fair practices for ranchers whose property was purchased 
by the government and then leased back for continued agricultural use. 
A small section of his property was purchased for the seashore in 1968, 
and the remainder became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation 
Area in 1974. He continues to be an active supporter of agriculture 
within the national seashore.
  Understanding the value of connecting to nonfarmed communities, Boyd 
has been involved in Greater Marin County and beyond. As a prominent 
local citizen, he has occasionally had the opportunity to host visiting 
dignitaries to give them a taste of the West. Recently, for example, a 
soccer team from the People's Republic of China enjoyed a barbeque at 
the Stewart ranch at the invitation of China expert and former rancher 
Orville Schell. These young people got to know what it was like in 
beautiful Point Reyes. Team members still treasure their photos. They 
were decked in cowboy hats, and they were riding the Stewart horses.
  Boyd has been an active member of numerous organizations such as the 
West Marin Chamber of Commerce, where he focuses on all aspects of 
civic life in West Marin. He was a board member of the Marin Humane 
Society, which named him Humanitarian of the Year in 1993. He left the 
group, by the way, when they stopped serving meat. He was also involved 
in the Marin Conservation League, American Jersey Breeders Association, 
American Morgan Horse Association, California Co-op Creamery of 
Petaluma, Borden's Company, and others including the Tamalpais Trail 
Riders where his granddaughter Amanda became the youngest member at the 
age of 10 days. The ranch's most recent award, California Excellence in 
Range Management, from the California Cattleman's Association, 
demonstrates the family's continued focus on land stewardship.
  Mr. Speaker, Boyd Stewart's heartfelt commitment to the land, its 
natural resources, its agriculture, and the people who enjoy it has 
inspired several generations.

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