The
New Jersey Junior of Chamber of Commerce recently
honored seven New Jersey residents with their Outstanding
Young Citizens (TOYC) Award, two of whom were recipients
of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture's
Outstanding Young Farmer Award in 2000 and 2001.
The recognition came at the Jaycees annual TOYC
banquet, continuing their tradition of recognizing
the personal, professional and civic achievements
of special individuals of the Garden State. The
two agriculture industry honorees were Ronald E.
Binaghi, Jr., a fifth generation vegetable and
greenhouse operator from Old Tappan, Bergen County,
and was Robert C. Von Thun, Jr., a fourth generation
vegetable/small fruit/flower grower from Monmouth
Junction, Middlesex County. Binaghi and his wife
Jeanine, who shares in all aspects of the farm
work and community activities, reminded the TOYC
audience that happiness is not based on possessions,
power or prestige, but on relationships with those
you love and respect and the service we provide
to God and others. He told the Jaycees about his
involvement in the Bergen County Agricultural Development
Committee and expressed his pride at being part
of Bergen County's recent acquisition under the
Farmland Preservation Program. Binaghi received
the Outstanding Young Farmer Award in 2000. Von
Thun, New Jersey's 2001 Outstanding Young Farmer
for 2001, was recognized earlier this year by the
United State Junior Chamber of Commerce as one
of the year's National Outstanding Young Farmers.
Von Thun and his wife Cindy value strong community
service efforts including education and public
outreach. They follow closely the FFA motto: "learning
to do, doing to learn, earning to live, living
to serve." Von Thun shared the Jaycees honor with
Cindy, stressing they are a "team" in all aspects
of the family; farm operation and community outreach.
NJ Jaycees' 56th President Joseph Sabina and TOYC
Chairperson Alisa Hodowanec presented the Jaycees'
TOYC Gold Medallion and TOYC award to Binaghi and
Von Thun. In a letter to the honorees, Syndey Ward,
81st President of the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce,
wrote, "Service to humanity is one of the most
basic Jaycee beliefs and you are the guiding lights
for young people across the state of New Jersey." Karen
Kritz, NJDA's Outstanding Young Farmer program
manager, noted, "For youth who want to enter the
field of production agriculture or natural resource
management, Binaghi and Von Thun set an ideal example
of how a farm family can run a successful agricultural
operation and give so much back to the community." For
more information about the program, contact Kritz
at 609-984-2506 or e-mail karen.kritz@ag.state.nj.us.
New
Jersey's Outstanding Young Farmer for
the year 2000, Ronald E. Binaghi, Jr.,
a fifth generation vegetable and greenhouse
operator from Old Tappan, Bergen County,
was recently honored by the New Jersey
Junior of Chamber of Commerce. Congratulating
Binaghi (center) were Joseph Sabina,
56th President of the New Jersey Jaycees,
and Alisa Hodowanec, NJ Jaycees Outstanding
Young Citizen Chairperson. |
New
Jersey's Outstanding Young Farmer for
the year 2001, Robert C. Von Thun,
Jr., a fourth generation vegetable/small
fruit/flower grower from Monmouth Junction,
Middlesex County, was also congratulated
by Sabina and Hodowanec. |
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