July 30, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 129 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING PETER NISSEN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 30, 2019

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
Peter Nissen for his commitment to agriculture and our wine community 
and to honor him as the Napa County Farm Bureau's 2019 Agriculturalist 
of the Year.
  Mr. Nissen was born in Richmond, California and began his career in 
agriculture before he graduated high school. The summer before he began 
his junior year, he moved irrigation lines in Cucamonga and Alta Loma 
vineyards. Mr. Nissen attended the University of California at Santa 
Barbara and graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor 
of Science in Business Administration in 1973. After graduation, Mr. 
Nissen worked in the vineyard department of Charles Krug Vinery. 
Starting in the equipment shop, he worked in all areas of vineyard 
operations, working his way up from the equipment shop to assistant 
vineyard manager in 1976. In February of 1978, Mr. Nissen started 
Nissen Vineyard Services Inc., a vineyard management business that 
currently farms over 1100 acres, most of which are in Napa County. 
Additionally, his company supplies labor to other agricultural 
operations.
  Mr. Nissen's involvement in our community extends beyond his company 
as he volunteers his time for numerous agricultural organizations. He 
has been a Board Member of Napa County Farm Bureau (NCFB) since 1998, 
is a past President, and is the Board Member representing NCFB on the 
Napa Valley Vine Trail. Mr. Nissen currently sits on the Board of the 
California Farm Labor Contractors Association and previously served as 
President. He has served as coordinator since the NCFB and the Napa 
County Agriculture Commissioner's office began hosting the annual Ag 
Day program for students in second and third grades. Mr. Nissen 
volunteered to manage the vineyard at Carneros Elementary School from 
1990 to 2014. He also volunteered to develop and manage the Napa County 
Resource Conservation District's Huichica Creek Sustainable 
Demonstration Vineyard.
  Madam Speaker, Peter Nissen has been a committed and active member of 
our agricultural community for many decades. It is therefore fitting 
and proper that we honor him as the Napa County Farm Bureau's 2019 
Agriculturalist of the Year here today.

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