The New York Farm Bureau recently named Senator Cathy Young (R,C,I-Orleans) and Assemblyman Andy Goodell (R,C-Chautauqua) to its annual "Circle of Friends" list.

This prestigious legislative award is granted based upon their record of legislative support for New York agriculture and the Farm Bureau. The New York Farm Bureau is a non-partisan organization and does not endorse elected officials or political candidates.

Senator Young and Assemblyman Goodell join a number of other legislators in the Senate and Assembly that have a superior voting record on issues and have shown strong support for the New York farm industry during the 2011 Legislative Session, including Assemblyman Joe Giglio. Each member of the Farm Bureau "Circle of Friends" has demonstrated an understanding of the important issues impacting farmers and the considerable impact the industry has on our economy and quality of life.

The New York Farm Bureau, the state’s largest general farm advocacy organization, works closely with the state Legislature to strengthen and enhance the agricultural industry in New York state. This year’s legislative session proved to be a challenging one for farmers, but with significant support from key legislators, such as Senator Young and Assemblyman Goodell, agriculture will continue to be one of New York’s most important industries.

Senator Young said, “I am proud to have partnered with Assemblyman Goodell and 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. 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. I commend Assemblyman Goodell for doing such a great job.”

With the strong and active support of both Senator Young and Assemblyman Goodell, the state Legislature was able to restore 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.

Assemblyman Goodell expressed his appreciation to the Farm Bureau for their recognition. “Agriculture is extremely important and accounts for over $250 million in economic activity in Chautauqua County. Chautauqua County ranks first in New York state for the number of active farms, and fifth in the state for the number of acres in production. It is critical to the economy of Chautauqua County that we strongly support our local agricultural industry,” said Goodell.