News Release

Mike Emerling Named 2009 Pride of Agriculture Good Neighbor

By Joan Sinclair Petzen, Agriculture Program Leader, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wyoming County

Announcement of Mike Emerling as the 2009 Pride of Agriculture Good Neighbor highlighted the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce’s second annual Pride of Agriculture dinner on Saturday, March 28th. Three hundred fifty people gathered to celebrate and recognize agriculture and its contributions to the Wyoming County community. Mike Emerling exemplifies the kind of good neighbors Cornell Cooperative Extension and Farm Bureau seek to recognize in the farming community with this award.

(L-R) Pete Broughton, Wyoming County Farm Bureau President; Mike Emerling, Good Neighbor Award Recipient; Jonah Broughton, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wyoming County’s Board of Directors President; and Joan Petzen, Agriculture Program Leader, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wyoming County.

Mike’s involvement in community spans many aspects. He is member of the Perry Central School Board, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Agriculture Program Committee and the Holstein Association at the national, state and county level. Through the 4-H Program, he assists club leaders with training youth for participation in county and New York State fair activities with dairy projects.

Together with his father and mother, John and Betty and his wife Liz, Mike operates Emerling Farms, a third generation dairy. According to Merville Button, retired extension agent who nominated Emerling, “the family has a reputation of civic responsibility. Example: dairy farm odors are a serious concern, especially when there is a village close by. To ameliorate this problem, the Emerlings have installed a state of the art manure digester. The system reduces the odor problem and the methane gas produced is used to fuel an engine which generates a large percentage of electricity used by the farm.” This technology, though costly to install, shows dedication to environmental responsibility by both reducing odors and reducing the farm’s draw on commercial electrical supply.

People today, even in rural communities, crave a connection to understanding how food is produced. Mike and family host “visit a farm” tours for elementary school children and their teachers. Mike plans the event and thoroughly enjoys leading tours that give children a chance to get up close and personal with cows that produce milk. His planning makes the tours enjoyable, entertaining, and educational. He also hosts an annual summer picnic at the farm for families featuring an air inflated castle, play areas and music for the kids to enjoy. The evening finale is a professional fireworks display. Young and old have a grand time at this event each year.

Agriculture is a very visible industry in the Wyoming County landscape. Emerling Farms does their part to present a positive image in many ways. Their farmstead is located on the well traveled NYS Route 246 between the village of Perry and the Hamlet of Perry Center. Whenever one drives by you notice a neat, well maintained farmstead. This fosters a positive image of both their farm and the dairy industry in Wyoming County. In addition to local visitors, Emerling Farms frequently open their operation to tours from throughout the United States and international visitors.

Wyoming County’s Pride of Agriculture Good Neighbor Mike Emerling is a leader in the many communities with which he is involved. From the Perry Central School District, to working with the 4-H youth and his Holstein associations both state and nationally, Mike is humble, energetic and thoughtful.

Congratulations to Mike and all the Emerlings on their continuing heritage of neighborliness.