New York Beef Quality Assurance Program Award Announced
Each year the New York Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Advisory Committee selects one deserving supporter to receive the annual BQA Award presented at the New York Beef Producers’ Association Annual Meeting. This year Lisa Kempisty, Agriculture Community Educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County, was recognized.
The Beef Quality Assurance program in New York State has grown into a robust educational opportunity for beef and dairy farmers throughout the state and works to improve the quality of beef produced by connecting producers with the newest research and animal care techniques. The program takes many hands to run and has continued to grow through support from generous sponsors, veterinary professionals, and local extension staff, such as Lisa.
Lisa’s hard work and dedication to the program has been instrumental in the program's success and popularity in Chautauqua and neighboring Cattaraugus county. Often behind the scenes, her work to continuously promote the program and ensure the smooth execution of trainings were the basis to an increased number of trainings offered and producers certified. The BQA Program currently has over 1,100 active beef producers, farm employees, and students. Lisa’s leadership has led to nearly 75 BQA certified producers in Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties alone. “It has been a GREAT 20 years assisting Lisa in promoting BQA. Lisa’s attention to details enables the participants to leave with more than just a BQA certificate. I am assured the producers Lisa has touched are practicing these principles in all their affairs,” shared Ted Card, Beef Producers’ Association Vice President and beef farmer in Jamestown, NY.
Lisa continually strives to extend the core principles of the BQA through her involvement in a wide variety of beef educational programs hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension and New York Beef Producers’ Association. Lisa had an indescribable impact on not only the BQA program but the larger NY beef industry during her 35 years working in the industry. Congratulations Lisa!