Carly Howlett, Michael Howlett, and their son Henry pictured at Howlett Farms. Photo Provided.
By Eric Jenks, special to NEAFA
NEAFA congratulates Michael Howlett, chair of the NEAFA Agronomy Committee, and all of the hardworking team at Howlett Farms on being awarded the 2021 Next Generation Farmer Award from the NYS Agricultural Society. Howlett also runs Pat O’Brien Grain & Feed, based in Geneva, NY, a manufacturer of premier feeds for the dairy and livestock industry.
“We are very honored to receive the 2021 Next Generation Farmer Award,” said Howlett. “In our family, for five generations, we have poured everything we have into agriculture. Not only to grow our operation, but to help support the agricultural community around us. We understand that we are not simply successful on our own accord, but because we are supported by our neighbors, and the agriculture sector at large, so we thank all those that have worked with us over the years.”
Howlett also credits the success of the farm to the enterprising employees at the farm. “The Team at Howlett Farms is an incredibly hard working, devoted group of people that could be successful in any industry or at any company, but have chosen to be part of our Family,” said Howlett. “We thank all of our employees for echoing our relentless drive and passion for moving agriculture forward, and offering their sweat and tears to achieve our strategic objectives.”
As Howlett Farms continues to grow, Howlett is focused on communicationg what the hard work done in the agricultural sector does to those outside of the industry. “The world is changing around us at an exponential rate, and these changes are driven by distant consumers far removed from agriculture,” said Howlett. “We will work to translate these changes to agriculture in a farmer-friendly way, and facilitate growth and profitability throughout our segment of the supply chain. We are extremely grateful to be acknowledged for this award, and we will continue to stay laser focused on the legacy of farming and supply chain development for the agricultural economy in the Northeast.”