New York Farm Bureau has selected Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo and longtime member Maureen Torrey for its annual Distinguished Service Award, the organization's highest honor.
The two will receive their awards at a Dec. 3 dinner during the Farm Bureau's State Annual Convention at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, according to an Oct. 8 release from the organization. The award recognizes leadership and service to New York agriculture.
Lupardo's work in the Assembly
Lupardo has represented the 123rd Assembly District since 2005 and has chaired the Assembly Agriculture Committee since 2019. She is retiring at the end of the 2026 legislative term, the Farm Bureau said.
The organization credited her work on opportunities for beginning farmers, local food systems and agricultural innovation. It also cited her support for Farm to School, Nourish NY and Farmland for a New Generation, along with the growth of the state's craft beverage industry.
Lupardo said she has tried to turn what she learned from farmers and producers into funding and policy during her time as committee chair. She said the work required collaboration with people across the agricultural community.
Torrey's farm and industry leadership
Torrey is a 12th-generation member of Torrey Farms, a Western New York family operation that grows and processes fresh-market vegetables and grains and maintains dairy operations. She also runs a trucking company with her husband, Paul Marshall.
Her agricultural leadership has included serving as chair of United Fresh, a director of the Produce Marketing Association and the first chair of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. She served for seven years as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Buffalo branch and is a trustee of Genesee Community College.
Torrey said her involvement with the organization began more than 60 years ago through its Youth Power program, when she was selected to represent New York at a national meeting.
Registration for the convention and dinner-only tickets is available through the event registration page.
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