By Blake Jackson
The Niagara County Farm Bureau (NCFB) held its annual meeting on October 19, where Kevin Bitttner was re-elected president and Mark Russell was re-elected vice president. Jim Bittner, Dave Tower, and Ben Verrati were also elected to board seats.
The meeting featured presentations by local ag teacher Matthew Sweeney, state Assembly member Mike Norris, and New York Farm Bureau director Brad Macauley. Sweeney discussed the agriculture program in the Royalton Hartland school district, which recently received two major awards: NYS Most Outstanding Ag Program and the U.S. Northeast Region Most Outstanding Ag Program. Norris spoke about legislative priorities for the upcoming year, and Macauley provided an update on statewide farm bureau activities.
In addition to electing officers and board members, the NCFB also passed a number of resolutions on local, state, and federal lobbying efforts. At the local level, NCFB resolutions supported funding for Niagara County Cornell Cooperative Extension and Niagara County Soil and Water District and called for upgrades to the power grid. At the state and federal levels, many of the resolutions focused on labor issues that have arisen due to new legislation.
NCFB member Jeanette Miller was also recognized for bringing in 15 new members in the past year. Regional director Tim Bigham reminded everyone that "Farm Bureau is open to all: those involved in agriculture and those who enjoy its products." He encouraged members to reach out to others about the organization, noting that "the more members, the more lobbying power we have to preserve and enhance New York agriculture."
Photo Credit: gettyimages-ygrek
Categories: New York, Business