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Sen. Seward Receives National Award for Supporting Farmers' Health and Safety - July 9, 2020

Senator James Seward, who has served in the New York legislature for over three decades, received national recognition Wednesday, July 8, at the North American Agricultural Safety Summit for his tireless service to the farm community.

"Agriculture is New York State's number one industry. It is vital to our economy and way of life," said Seward. "I have continually advocated for policies and laws to help our farmers and that includes crucial safety programs like the highly successful New York Rollover Protection System (ROPS) Rebate Program."

Seward has been a champion for the ROPS Rebate Program in New York, founded through the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH), a Bassett Healthcare Network program. He also successfully pushed to increase availability of health insurance for uninsured farmers, while working to decrease the cost of health insurance for small business owners.

"You cannot put a price tag on the health and well-being of our farmers and investments in safety pay dividends for years and generations to come," said Seward, a long-time member of the New York State Senate Agriculture Committee. 

"Senator Seward has made marked contributions to the health and safety of New York farmers and serves as an example to other state senators," says NYCAMH director Julie Sorensen. "He has demonstrated what is possible when farmers, researchers, health professionals and educators work collectively towards the common goal of worker health and safety."

Originally scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, the awards ceremony and summit event programming was hosted online by the Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Not only is safety important for individual employees, but it also is one of the key business excellence areas that determine long-term sustainability," said Jess McCluer, board chair of ASHCA, and vice president of safety and regulatory affairs at the National Grain and Feed Association.

In addition to Seward, seven other individuals and organizations were honored at the ceremony for leadership in agricultural safety through safety training, collaboration, promotion, education or research.

Lifetime Achievement: William Nelson, formerly of the CHS Foundation and longest-serving chair of the ASHCA Board of Directors.

Agribusiness Leader: Janice Klodowski, vice president of Agri-Services Agency.

Agriculture Organizations: Washington State Dairy Association, the oldest dairy trade association in the country, and Farmworker Association of Florida, a stateside grassroots organization of 10,000-plus members

Educator: Robert Aherin, PhD, retired researcher and outreach specialist, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Health Care Provider: Charlotte Halverson, RN, AgriSafe Network.

WCF Insurance Research to Practice Collaboration Award: Idaho Dairymen's Association