A Vermont spring day in May, one lives by the old saying: it May rain, it May snow, or it May sunshine (or all 3 in 1 day!) It has been a very good start, many acres of land have been planted, cows are grazing, and the hay crop harvest has begun. As I begin my 2nd term on the NEAFA board and move into the Secretary seat, I would like to thank and recognize Corwin Holtz, for serving as the past secretary and for his 10 years on the board.
I have served the past 3 years on the membership committee and helped to reconfigure our membership levels and dues. I hope everyone has found this more useful and inviting to expand their membership, as well as invite new members. If anyone feels the new structure is not meeting the needs of our agricultural industry throughout New York and New England, please reach out to me or any of our membership committee members. Maintaining and growing our membership is vital for our continued support of the agriculture industry throughout New York and New England. Our website (NEAFA— Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance (northeastalliance.com)) has up to date information about our upcoming events, as well as updates on legislation that is or has been on going.
In speaking of upcoming events, our Annual Golf For Good Works Tournament is August 19th and 20th, held again at the Turning Stone Resort. This is a huge fund-raising event for the Alliance and we use the proceeds to support programs such as the Northeast Regional Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, Future Farmers of America Foundation, NYS 4-H Foundation’s Junior Dairy Leader Program, Dairy Judging Teams and Vermont Breakfast on the Farm, to name a few. Registration and sponsorship opportunities are now open and available on our website here.
I enjoy serving on the NEAFA Board, helping to represent Vermont and our agriculture industry. I was the 3rd generation dairy famer of our farm in Vermont. When we closed the farm in 2000, I joined Morrison’s Custom Feeds of Barnet, VT. Morrison’s has a unique feed business model of having three different lines of feed: conventional, certified non-GMO, and certified organic. I have been blessed to lead our company to be the largest supplier of organic dairy feed in New England, and I also serve as Board Chair of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont Board (NOFA-VT).