Sen. Young Named to Farm Bureau’s “Circle of Friends”

OLEAN – In recognition of her continued efforts to help New York State farmers grow and create jobs, Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I – Olean) has once again been honored by the New York Farm Bureau with its “Circle of Friends” recognition.

The prestigious legislative award is based upon Senator Young’s voting record on issues of importance to New York agriculture and other evidence of legislative support, including sponsorship of bills that Farm Bureau has either supported, or opposed, throughout the 2011 Legislative Session.

“Senator Young received our Circle of Friends legislative award for 2011 because she continually shows her strong support for New York’s family farms through her work at the State Capitol. Senator Young truly understands the importance of agriculture in her Senate district and how the industry impacts the economy and the future of New York State," said Dean Norton, President of New York Farm Bureau.

Senator Young said, “I am proud to have partnered with the Farm Bureau to boost agriculture and our economy. It was a challenging budget year, but we fought hard to protect a number of agriculture research programs and investments that are vitally important to the future of this industry,” said Senator Young.

“We passed legislation that provides more affordable energy to farms and food processors and reduced the regulatory burdens placed on farming operations. I also sponsored and passed legislation to strengthen the wine industry, especially farm wineries. I am honored to be acknowledged for my role in the Legislature as supporting many of the Farm Bureau's key legislative initiatives,” she added.

With the strong and active support of Senator Young, the State Legislature was able to restore critical funding to several important agricultural programs, including the Integrated Pest Management Program, the Wine and Grape Foundation, the Farm Viability Institute, the Farm Family Assistance Program, the Pro-Dairy Program, the Apple Growers Association, and Future Farmers of America.

Senator Young also supported important legislation to boost the wine industry by streamlining regulatory requirements on farm wineries in the state that will help them continue to grow as a key tourism, agricultural, and economic engine for the state.

New York Farm Bureau is a non-partisan organization and does not endorse elected officials or political candidates.