Local resident represents New York
in national competition

Jessica Lei Sweeney, who grew up in Hilton, participated in the 2006 national Collegiate Discussion Meet held February 24 in DesMoines, Iowa, during the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Conference.

The contest consisted of two sessions of round robin competitions, where participants were matched with three others. Topics of discussion included protecting farms and ranches from terrorism, enhancing the public perception of agriculture and, during the final round, the need to assure that enough workers will be available to harvest the nation's crops.

Sweeney said, "The discussion meet was a great opportunity; I gained experience in Farm Bureau policy, different forms of agriculture, and met other farmers from all over the country."

She grew up on a 60 cow freestall dairy in Hilton. Her family owns a small farm market where they sell flowers and vegetables. She was in 4-H for 14 years and showed cows at the county fair. Sweeney is majoring in dairy science at Morrisville State College and plans to return to the family farm after graduation.

April 23, 2006