To the Editor:

I am pleased to announce that New York Farm Bureau has named Senator Patty Ritchie to our annual "Circle of Friends" list.

This legislative award is based upon her record of legislative support for New York agriculture and Farm Bureau’s public policies. New York Farm Bureau is a non-partisan organization and does not endorse elected officials or political candidates.

Senator Ritchie, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, joins legislators from both sides of the aisle in the Senate and Assembly who have a superior voting record on issues of concern to New York farmers during the 2015 state legislative session.

New York Farm Bureau, the state’s largest general farm advocacy organization, works closely with the legislature to strengthen agriculture in New York and build on its economic importance in every region of the state.

Over the past year, we have worked to reduce regulatory fees for farms, improve law enforcement training for animal cruelty laws, and increase funding for education, conservation and agricultural research.

These and many other accomplishments this year would not have been possible without the support from Senator Ritchie.

Dean Norton

President, New York Farm Bureau, Elba