[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11860]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE NAPA COUNTY FARM BUREAU

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 18, 2013

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
Napa County Farm Bureau on the occasion of its centennial anniversary.
  The Napa County Farm Bureau was initiated in 1913 when at a meeting 
of the Napa Grange, H. J. Baade stated that the University of 
California at Berkeley would hire a scientifically trained man with at 
least four years of practical farming experience and place him in any 
county that would agree to organize a Farm Bureau. The Napa Grangers 
instructed the District Attorney to assist the Secretary of the Napa 
Chamber of Commerce to organize a Bureau of at least one-fifth of all 
the farmers in the county.
  Today, the mission of the Napa County Farm Bureau is to ensure the 
proper political, social, and economic climate for the continuation of 
a strong, vibrant and sustainable agricultural economy. The Farm Bureau 
is one of the county's major voices for land stewardship, agricultural 
sustainability, and open space preservation and conservation. Over the 
last four decades, the Napa County Farm Bureau has led the resistance 
to the trend toward paving over farmland across the state and nation, 
and worked with County government leaders to designate agriculture as 
its most precious resource--the highest and best use of the land.
  Countless members of the community have given much of their time and 
talent to help improve the agricultural conditions of Napa County. The 
organization is guided by a Board of Directors and supported by a 
multitude of dedicated volunteers. The Napa County Farm Bureau will 
honor 52 Centennial Napa County farm families who have been farming in 
the county for 100 or more years on August 3rd.
  Mr. Speaker, throughout its 100 year history, the Napa County Farm 
Bureau has worked to protect family farms and ranches, maintain and 
enhance Napa's rich agricultural heritage, and promote good stewardship 
of Napa's soils, watersheds, wildlife habitat and open space. It is 
therefore appropriate that we acknowledge the Napa County Farm Bureau 
today and wish it great success in future years.

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