Orchard Park, NY — Providence Farm Collective (PFC) is proud to announce that Deputy Director Hamadi Ali has been elected to serve on the Board of the Erie County Farm Bureau. In this role, Ali will bring the perspectives of refugee, immigrant, and other under-resourced farmers into county-level conversations shaping agriculture across Erie County and New York State.

“As a voting member, I hope to advocate for PFC farmers and connect refugee and immigrant farmers to the larger farming population in the United States. Farming comes in many different forms and those of us who don’t fit the conventional definition are generally left without a voice. I’m honored to be voted on as a board member to advocate for all farmers to realize a farming system that works for all of us,” said Hamadi Ali, Deputy Director at PFC.

The Erie County Farm Bureau is part of the New York Farm Bureau, whose mission is “To Serve And Strengthen Agriculture.” Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, volunteer organization financed and controlled by member families for the purpose of solving economic and public policy issues challenging the agricultural industry. Its grassroots policy development process begins at the county level with problem identification and culminates at the New York Farm Bureau Annual Meeting with resolutions addressing the issues—ensuring the organization represents the majority position of its membership.