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January 2009 Grassroots Page 17
Young Farmers honored at SAM
DISCUSSION MEET winner Slade Cox and retiring New
York Farm Bureau President John Lincoln.
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Farm Bureau honored outstanding
young farmers during the organization’s State
Annual Meeting in December.
Young farmers ages 18 to 35 competed in statewide competitions
during the fall and the winners were announced on
Tuesday, Dec. 9.
Washington County residents Brian and Catherine Ziehm
received the 2008 Young Farmer Achievement Award. This
award recognizes young farmers for their agricultural pursuits
and leadership within the community. The couple has a
dairy, beef cattle and alpaca operation. The Ziehms were
awarded $1,000 from Dodge and the NYFB Young Farmer
& Rancher Program, use of a Kubota M Series Utility Tractor
for one year, a Valvoline product voucher and an expensepaid
trip to compete on the national level at the American
Farm Bureau Federation Convention.
The Excellence in Agriculture Award, which recognizes
young farmers for their contributions to agriculture and to
Farm Bureau, was presented to Heath Eisele of Franklin
County. Contestants were judged on their involvement in
agriculture, leadership ability, and their participation in Farm
Bureau and other organizations. Eisele works as a soil conservationist.
He received $1,000 from Dodge and the NYFB
Young Farmer & Rancher Program, a Stihl MS 290 Farm
Boss Chainsaw and an expense-paid trip to compete at the
AFBF Convention.
Slade Cox, a dairy farmer from Cayuga County, was
named the winner of the Discussion Meet finals. This contest
simulates a committee meeting, with contestants working
cooperatively as they discuss issues important to agriculture.
Four finalists competed on Dec. 9 in the last round of
Discussion Meet judging on the topic of “After Young
Farmers and Ranchers, how can Farm Bureau utilize the
leaders it has developed?”
The contest was very close, but Cox was selected as the
winner and received $1,000 from Dodge and the NYFB
Young Farmer & Rancher Program, a prize from Grainger,
and an expense-paid trip to compete nationally at the
AFBF Convention.
These individuals will represent New York Farm Bureau
during the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual convention
Jan. 11 to 14 in San Antonio, Texas. The winners of
each of these national contests will receive a selected 2009
Dodge pick-up truck.
LINCOLN AND EXCELLENCE IN AGRICULTURE Award
winner Heath Eisele.
YOUNG FARMER ACHIEVEMENT Award winners Brian
and Catherine Ziehm are congratulated by award sponsor
Bill Moller (left) of Kubota.
Top 5 Food Trends
A look back at 2008;
A look ahead at 2009
Identifying the top trends in anything—food, fashion or fun
toys for kids—is at best an inexact science. Even so-called
experts in a given field rarely agree 100 percent when asked to
rank current trends or predict future ones. Below are five foodrelated
trends that captured the attention of foodies in 2008 and
four that are likely to generate buzz in 2009.
A look back at 2008
• Local foods. Consumer interest in buying local foods continued
to grow; “locavore” (person who seeks out and consumes
locally grown food) was the New Oxford American Dictionary’s
word of the year.
• Celebrity chefs. Celebrity chefs and their cooking shows,
advice columns/blogs and product endorsements had a strong
showing throughout the year.
• Higher food prices. Retail food prices rode the energy price
roller coaster throughout the year.
• Food safety and traceability. Non-stop news coverage of safety
and traceability issues related to spinach, lettuce, tomatoes,
jalapeno peppers and ground beef eroded consumer confidence
in the nation’s food supply.
• Food companies listened to consumers. In an effort to stay
ahead of competitors and capture shrinking consumer grocery
dollars, Butterball, Wegmans, Starbucks,
Whole Foods Market and other companies changed product
offerings in response to consumer feedback.
Hot trends in 2009
• Farm-to-table cuisine. Consumers wanting to know where
their food comes from, how it is prepared and who prepared it
intersect in the growing “farm-to-table cuisine” trend, which is
an extension and refinement of the local foods trend.
• Cutting back and bargains rule. Consumer interest in reducing
outlays for food will continue to spur the eating/baking at
home trend; economizing at restaurants and splitting orders
with a dining companion will become mainstream.
• Restaurants go high tech. High-tech entertainment offerings
to entice diners will grow at restaurants. At UWink in Los
Angeles and Mountain View, Calif., customers place food
orders at touch screens that do double-duty as video game consoles.
• Buckwheat, the next hot grain. The “intensely earthy” flavor
of buckwheat will grow in popularity with chefs, as the grain has
proven to be a remarkable workhouse ingredient in what foodies
describe as “rich, luxurious dishes.”