Pennsylvania Farm Bureau selected Columbia County farmer Delroy Artman as the recipient of the Distinguished Local Affairs Leader Award. The award recognizes an individual whose local affairs efforts and activities helped solve problems and improve rural living for Farm Bureau members.

Judges of the award cited Artman's involvement in multiple local affairs projects, including the successful Ag Safety Day event. Artman assumed a leadership role in organizing the joint venture between the Columbia County Farm Bureau and the county's 4-H and FFA members. Ag Safety Day had a big turnout from the agriculture community and the public, who observed safety demonstrations and were provided tips for safely operating all-terrain vehicles.

"Safety affects all of us and we need to spend more time planning and establishing procedures to reduce the possibility of accidents occurring on farms and in our community at large," Artman says. "Ag Safety Day also gives us an opportunity to engage in personal conversations with our neighbors and others in the community about how we use no-till and cover crops to improve the soil and environment, how we care for our animals, and actions we take to further improve food safety." 

Artman, who is past president of the Columbia County Farm Bureau and grows corn, soybeans, wheat and hay on about 800 acres near Berwick, has always been active in the community. He has helped put on Columbia County Farm Bureau's Legislative Farm Tour, a Natural Resources Conservation Service farm tour, a Department of Environmental Protection farm tour, and met with county commissioners to discuss the importance of the Clean and Green program.

"Delroy is an extremely active member of Farm Bureau and his local community. When he gets involved in a project, it typically generates positive results. His efforts helped national, state and local officials learn more about the challenges facing farm families and how the decisions they make can affect the livelihood of farmers," says Rick Ebert, president of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. "Equally important is his engagement with people who have no ties to agriculture and his willingness to welcome environmental officials onto his farm to demonstrate actions farmers are taking to further improve soil and water quality."

Source: Pennsylvania Farm Bureau