Recognizing Mr. Tony Azevedo

Floor Speech

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Mr. VALADAO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Tony Azevedo, the recipient of the 2022 Greater King's County Chamber of Commerce Agriculturalist of the Year award.

For generations, the Azevedo family has been involved in the Central Valley agricultural community across both Kings and Tulare counties. That trend has continued because of Mr. Azevedo, as he has been a farmer in the Central Valley for most of his adult life. Before he had even graduated college, Mr. Azevedo had already begun his first agricultural company--a commercial spraying business, which is still being operated to this day. That passion for the agricultural industry has only grown throughout his life.

Mr. Azevedo is not only a dedicated farmer, but he is also heavily involved in advocating on behalf of the Central Valley Ag community. He has served on the board of the California Water Alliance--an advocacy organization focused on uniting water leaders in the community to achieve equitable and reliable water supplies from Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Additionally, he currently serves on several local irrigation district boards--doing all he can to achieve reliable water for Valley farmers.

For Mr. Azevedo and his family, farming is not simply a job or a way to earn a paycheck, but it is a way of life. Their family operations have faced droughts, bad harvests, constantly changing environmental regulations and unreliable water supplies for years. Through it all, Mr. Azevedo has learned to adapt to changing circumstances, and always find a way to keep his farms alive and well.

I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring Mr. Tony Azevedo for being named Agriculturalist of the Year. I cannot think of a more deserving recipient.

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