Patricia (Pat) VanLare of Sodus  has been awarded the 2019 Wayne County Agricultural Environmental Steward award. The award was created at a grassroots level to recognize individuals that strengthen the Wayne County agriculture community while looking out for environmental sustainability. An agricultural steward is someone who is dedicated to being agriculturally minded, environmental and conversationally sound and having the balance for them both economically.

Pat VanLare has supported agriculture through her personal work, serving as a community advocate for local and sustainable family traditions and local environmental related issues in Wayne County. She supports local programs that educate people where what and how food reaches farm-to-table, NYS Envirothon and Sodus Central Schools as a home economics instructor. She has been an active participant in the Wayne County Pomona Grange, serving at the State and Regional Grange levels and a Board Member of the NYS Grange Museum for many years. Pat serves on the Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Board of Directors as Vice-President and sits on the Wayne County’s County Fair Advisory Board as a volunteer coordinator.

Pat’s continued effort helps to improve Wayne County’s ties to agriculture and the importance of family, local traditions, history and agricultural advocacy for food production, land stewardship and environmental issues. Her working knowledge of several agricultural organizations such as Farm Bureau, Grange, Soil and Water, and USDA help provide information to the local communities to help them address advocacy on a consistent and uniformed message.

“I have worked on the District Board of Directors with Pat and cannot think of a better recipient to receive this honor,” said Huron Town Supervisor Laurie Crane who was recently the recipient of the New York State Senate Helming’s Woman of Distinction award.