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New York Farm Bureau presented
Silver Key Awards to 43 counties at
the New York Farm Bureau State
Annual Meeting, held on December 4-6
in Niagara Falls, N.Y.
The Silver
Key Awards are presented to county
Farm Bureaus that have exhibited
excellence in a variety of
categories relating to effectiveness
in policy implementation, promoting
agriculture amongst the public and
in classrooms, leadership
development, and membership
building.
While at
the State Annual Meeting, members
also had an opportunity to vote on
the policy issues that will guide
the work of New York Farm Bureau for
the coming year; attend a workshop
on agricultural issues relating to
the 2007 Farm Bill, presented by
Dave Salmonsen of the American Farm
Bureau Federation; and listen to a
presentation by Col. Douglas
Wheelock, NASA astronaut and an
inspiration talk by renowned speaker
Chad Hymas.
Gov.
Eliot Spitzer on Thursday addressed
farmers at the meeting, outlining a
new initiative to bring broadband
access to rural areas and praising a
year of successes
for farm
policy.
New York
Farm Bureau is dedicated to solving
the economic and public policy
issues challenging the farming
communities in the State. Silver Key
Awards recognize County Farm Bureaus
for their commitment to
agricultural.
The counties receiving Silver Key
Awards include: Allegany, Broome,
Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung,
Clinton, Columbia, Cortland,
Dutchess/Putnam/Westchester, Erie ,
Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee,
Greene, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis,
Livingston, Long Island, Monroe,
Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange,
Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer,
Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie,
Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins,
Washington, Wayne, Wyoming and
Yates.
In addition to the Silver Key Award,
Chenango, Montgomery, Ontario and
Orleans counties received the Gold
Key Award. Gold keys are awarded to
four county Farm Bureaus for overall
program accomplishment based on
membership size. In order to qualify
for this award, the county must have
achieved its membership goal. |
