State Senator Patty Ritchie welcomed New York Farm Bureau’s new president—David Fisher of St. Lawrence County—to this week’s Senate Agriculture Committee meeting. 

Ritchie, who serves as Chair of the Committee, asked Fisher to speak about “Vets-to Farms,” a new program made possible through funding secured in the budget by Senator Ritchie that helps veterans and soldiers returning from war zones to pursue careers in agriculture. Fisher is awaiting final approval to have his farm—Mapleview Dairy in Madrid—participate in the program.

(Attn. photo editors:  Pictured from left to right in the above photo are Senator Leroy Comrie, Senator Patrick Gallivan, Senator Michael Razenhofer, Senator Rich Funke, Senator Patty Ritchie, Todd Kuznierz of Senator Ritchie’s staff, Senator John Brooks, David Fisher and Sheila O’Sullivan of Senator Ritchie’s staff)