New York Farm Viability Institute Website Press Releases 

PRESS RELEASE: February 1, 2007
Re: Senator Young recognized for commitment to state’s agriculture

Contact: Rebecca Schuelke, NYFVI public relations specialist
(315) 453-3823 ext. 103, (315) 427-2714, rschuelke@nyfarmviability.org

NY Farm Viability recognizes innovation at annual luncheon

By Rebecca Schuelke
NYFVI Public Relations Specialist

A commitment to reducing barriers to success for New York’s farmers brought accolades to state Sen. Catharine M. Young (R – Olean), who was named New York Farm Viability Institute Friend of the Year.

The award was presented at the New York Farm Viability Institute’s annual recognition luncheon on Feb. 1 in Syracuse.

Also honored were Lyle Merle of Merle Maple in Attica, who was named Producer of the Year, and Dr. Julie R. Kikkert, Project Leader of the Year.

Young was selected by the nonprofit Institute’s farmer-producer board of directors. New York Farm Viability Institute directs and gives financial assistance to research projects that result in farm-level profits. Project leaders include farmers, university researchers, Cooperative Extension educators and others in the agriculture support industry that are working to develop value-added products, improve soil quality, reduce pesticide use, provide production and economic benchmarking data, create business plans, manage manure and more.

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