[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 195]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING JOHN MULLER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 4, 2017

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor John Muller, better known as 
Farmer John, for his 10 years of public service on the Half Moon Bay 
City Council, including one year as mayor. As a farmer, John has deep 
roots in the community and always strives to nurture the quality of 
life of all residents of the coastside. I am very grateful to have 
worked with him for more than three decades and to call him a dear 
friend.
  While on the council, Councilman Muller served on the Chamber 
Government Affairs Committee, the Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside, the 
League of California Cities Coastal Cities Issue Group, the San Mateo 
County Airport Land Use Committee, the Association of Bay Area 
Governments, and the City County Association of Governments.
  John was instrumental in restoring Half Moon Bay's fiscal health. The 
Great Recession combined with a multi-million dollar land use 
settlement put the city at the brink of bankruptcy. Through strategic 
decisions, collaboration and meticulous work, John and his fellow 
councilmembers managed to balance the budget and placed the city on 
solid financial footing. Today, Half Moon Bay is a thriving community 
and destination for people from all over the Bay Area and the country. 
Main Street is a colorful collection of artisan stores, sustainable 
restaurants and small hotels. Signature events, such as the Pumpkin 
Festival, Farm Day, Nights of Light, the Seafood Festival, and Pacific 
Coast Dream Machines, show off the best that Half Moon Bay has to 
offer.
  In addition to his duties on the council, John served on the Regional 
Water Quality Control Board for 21 years, 13 of them as chair, having 
been appointed by four California governors. He is also a former member 
and chair of the Coastside County Water District Board, former chair of 
the Society of American Florists Government Relations Committee, former 
member of the Secretary of Agriculture's Special Committee to 
streamline management of the USDA, and a past president and current 
member of the San Mateo County Farm Bureau. He still serves on the U.S. 
EPA's Local Government Advisory Committee, the Agricultural Technical 
Advisory Committee for Fruits and Vegetables, and the California 
Agricultural Education Foundation.
  With his council duties and the additional volunteer work, it is 
somewhat of a miracle that Farmer John still manages to do his day job. 
He is the owner of Daylight Farms and John's Pumpkin Farm in Half Moon 
Bay. He and his wife of 47 years, Eda, are also fixtures at the Half 
Moon Bay Farmers Market every week. I've had the pleasure of seeing 
John's connection to the land when he is tending to his pumpkins, 
produce and chickens in his fields. Not only does he grow beautiful 
decorative pumpkins that my office purchases for my annual senior 
conference, he also grows monster pumpkins that he enters into the 
World Champion Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay.
  John and Eda are true stewards of our planet. They were honored with 
the U.S. EPA's Presidential Volunteer Service Award for their 
leadership in sustainable, urban agriculture and with the Agriculture 
Water Quality Alliance award for exemplary efforts to protect water 
quality within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
  John was born in Palo Alto in 1946 and served in the U.S. Navy from 
1963 to 1966. He graduated from the FBI Citizens Academy in 2007.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the members of the House of Representatives to 
join me in recognizing John Muller for his dedication to public service 
and his lifelong commitment to our community and country. John is a man 
with a big heart who loves to share. He deeply cares for all the people 
on the coast and quietly and with great humility helps them out in any 
way he can--no fanfare, no attribution. He is a true Good Samaritan and 
a one of a kind leader. How lucky we have been to have him in elected 
office for a decade. I admire him and Eda more than they will ever 
know.

                          ____________________