102nd Annual Awards Gala by Long Island Farm Bureau

The Long Island Farm Bureau will be hosting its 102nd Annual Awards Gala on Friday, April 5, 2024. This yearly gathering celebrates the achievements of farmer members and citizens for their work on behalf of the agricultural industry. This year’s awardees are Rodney Anderson and Dr. Mark Bridgen.

The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a press conference and the presentation of proclamations by elected officials for award winners. Photo opportunities with elected officials and awardees will take place during the press conference.

Rodney Anderson, posthumously selected for the Amherst Davis Memorial Farmer Citizen of the Year Award, is recognized for his lifelong dedication to the agricultural industry and commitment to fostering the next generation of young people in farming through his work with the Young Farmers program through the Farm Bureau.

Dr. Mark Bridgen will receive the Long Island Farm Bureau Citizen of the Year Award for his decades of contribution to horticultural research in the areas of Plant Breeding & Genetics and his over two decades served as the director of the Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center.

This year, retiring Assemblyman Fred Thiele will also be honored with a Lifetime Impact Award for his years of dedication and service to the farming, fishing, and aquaculture industries.

The Gala will be held at Riverhead Polish Hall, 214 Marcy Avenue, Riverhead. Proclamations will be awarded at the press conference starting at 5:30 p.m. Cocktail hour and dinner will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are $100 in advance and $125 at the door and include an entry to win a door prize! Tickets can be purchased by calling Lauren at 631-599-0230 or on the Long Island Farm Bureau website.