[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 150 (Wednesday, December 10, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1787]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING JOE GERGELA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 10, 2014

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Joe Gergela, 
who will retire at the end of this year from his position as the Long 
Island Farm Bureau's Executive Director, a position he has held for 26 
years.
  Joe's highly effective advocacy for Long Island agriculture was first 
cultivated early in his life, harvesting potatoes and other vegetables 
with his father and grandfather. He came to know the satisfaction of a 
hard day's work and the vital role family plays in a working farm, 
which form the backbone of the economy and tradition of Long Island's 
East End. In doing so, Joe celebrated the rich agricultural heritage 
that has been the pride of eastern Long Island since the 1600s. But he 
also learned the struggles farming families face, which strengthened 
his resolve to fight for our farming communities as the leader and 
chief advocate of the Long Island Farm Bureau.
  At the helm of the Farm Bureau, Joe has worked tirelessly for the 
over 600 farms covering nearly 36,000 acres of land in Suffolk County, 
in which my district lies, and the thousands of acres of farmland in 
adjacent Nassau County. During my tenure in Congress, Joe has been a 
trusted and valued counsel upon whom I have relied for expert knowledge 
of agricultural and environmental policy. I enjoyed my regular visits 
that Joe coordinated for me with board members of the Long Island Farm 
Bureau that became known as ``coffee with the congressman,'' which I 
found to be invaluable forums. These annual coffee meetings gave me the 
opportunity to hear directly from East End farmers who imparted first-
hand accounts of their success and challenges with issues relating to 
water quality, open space preservation, the Farm Bill, immigration 
reform and access to affordable labor, and how we could work together 
to maintain Long Island's robust agricultural footprint.
  Joe has been an invaluable resource to my staff and me, providing 
real life knowledge about working farms but also helpful insight on 
public policy. He has helped my office build meaningful relationships 
with the agriculture community and has always been ready to assist when 
there were opportunities to work together. Most recently, Joe helped 
coordinate a visit to Long Island for the Under Secretary of 
Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, to focus USDA's 
attention on our land, wineries, farm stands, related small businesses, 
and the hard-working Long Islanders behind these successful, growing 
ventures.
  Mr. Speaker, I have been proud to call Joe a friend and colleague for 
many years now. I know there will be many farmers, small businesses, 
and Suffolk County residents who will miss his tenacious dedication to 
farming and farmers on Long Island. On behalf of New York's First 
Congressional District, I congratulate Joe on his years of outstanding 
service and his many accomplishments with the Long Island Farm Bureau, 
and I wish him well in retirement and his future endeavors.

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