MEDIA CONTACT:

Butler County Farm Bureau Member Receives Distinguished Local Affairs Leader Award

Hershey, Pa. – Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) has presented Butler County Farm Bureau member Doug Dick with the 2021 Distinguished Local Affairs Leader Award during the farm organization’s 71st Annual Meeting in Hershey. The award recognizes an outstanding individual, whose local affairs efforts and activities have helped solve problems and improve rural living for county Farm Bureau members.

Dick, who has been involved with emergency medical and fire service for the past 45 years, collaborated with local Farm Bureaus to put on a rural road safety event that educated more than 180 people with family-oriented activities and demonstrations. The event was held at the Superior Ambulance Service facility in Grove City, Mercer County.

“It was a fantastic success and a great cooperation, collaboration amongst the local county Farm Bureaus and other participants that helped us out,” Dick said. “I think that we made an impact on the public of people that attended.”

“Dick has shown true leadership in promoting safety with Farm Bureau, and in emergency services,” said PFB President Rick Ebert. “His efforts in Butler County have made an impact in making the public aware of safety on the roads and around farm equipment, which is important for all of us.”

The one-day event featured 10 different learning stations, including a rural road safety video, a 1/64^th-scale farm, tractor and equipment demonstrations, and a petting zoo, among other interactive exhibits. Not only did the event educate the public with accurate information, but it also benefited local fire and EMS providers. Dick always keeps agriculture at the forefront of his educational events.

“Agriculture being the leading industry in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and what the farmers are faced with today and the potential for accidents and how horrific they can be, it is greatly important our fire and EMS providers get this training,” Dick said. “I think they appreciate what we do, I think they appreciate the outreach and collaboration that’s done between our group and Farm Bureau and all these other people that we have participate in this great venture.”

“Doug, his personality is just so energetic, and I really enjoy working with him,” said Butler County Farm Bureau member Brittany Speer, who worked with Dick on the rural road safety project and nominated him for the award. “Just everything I would tell him, he would be like, ‘That’s awesome, let’s do it.’ That’s why I felt he was a great candidate for this award.”

Hundreds of farmers from across the state attended Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s 71st Annual Meeting at the Hershey Lodge from November 15-17, to set policy for the statewide organization on issues affecting farm and rural families.

-30-

 Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is the state’s largest farm organization, representing farms of every size and commodity across Pennsylva