LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Leslie C. Hulcoop upon the occasion of
his retirement after 23 years of distinguished service to Cornell Coop-
erative Extension Dutchess County

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and honor
those distinguished citizens of this great Empire State who have devoted
themselves to faithfully serving the best interests of their community
and the needs of its residents; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Leslie C. Hulcoop upon the occasion of his retirement after 23 years of
distinguished service to Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County
on December 23, 2009; and
WHEREAS, As the Senior Resource Educator for field crops, vegetables,
agriculture policy, agriculture district law and biomass fuel crops,
Leslie C. Hulcoop has continually demonstrated extreme competence,
extraordinary intelligence and diligent leadership in his unwavering
service to Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County (CCEDC) and
subsequently a luncheon will be held in his honor on Wednesday, March
17, 2010; and
WHEREAS, Raised in Buffalo, New York, Leslie C. Hulcoop earned both
his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Cornell University; upon
receiving his Bachelor's, he worked at Grey's Greenhouses and later
Herman's Nursery in Poughkeepsie, New York, before returning to Cornell
for his Master's; and
WHEREAS, After completing his studies, Leslie C. Hulcoop taught for a
year in Buffalo and then had the opportunity to travel to St. Croix to
become a vocational educator at a school similar to BOCES; he returned
to the United States in 1987, and started his new career as an Educator
for Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County; and
WHEREAS, Some of Leslie C. Hulcoop's most notable achievements include
the first Dutchess County Produce Map, the creation of a Hudson Valley
Grower's Association, an off-shoot of which became Hudson Valley
Harvest, very similar to the statewide program "Pride of NY," which was
modeled on his marketing campaign; and
WHEREAS, Additionally, when community-supported agriculture (CSA)
arose, Leslie C. Hulcoop was instrumental in coordinating conferences
and working with these farms to both educate the farmers as well as
consumers on the benefits of this type of agriculture; and
WHEREAS, Leslie C. Hulcoop was also actively involved in the "Eat
Local" and "Once a Day" campaigns; another one of his creative programs
was the Ag Ambassador Program, which trained volunteers in all aspects
of local agricultural practices so they could then volunteer at local
farmers' markets to answer questions and promote local agriculture; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, Leslie C. Hulcoop promoted the phenomenon known
as Crop Art to Dutchess County, creating "planted crop pictures" at
several farms throughout the county; moreover, he has worked with the
Culinary Institute of America to educate and encourage budding chefs to
buy and use local produce, including conducting tours of local farms for
the chefs so they could see fresh, local crops being grown; and
WHEREAS, Leslie C. Hulcoop also chaired and coordinated the 2004
"Small Farm Expo," a two day event held during New York State's turn to
host the tri-state expo; a cooperative effort between Cornell, Penn
State and Rutgers, it brought education to small suburban and rural
landowners who wanted to learn how to get involved in some form of agri-
culture; and

WHEREAS, Most recently, Leslie C. Hulcoop has worked with farmers to
evaluate and promote the production of certain plants suitable for use
as bio-fuel; he received a "campus to county" grant enabling farmers to
see the benefits of alternative crops such as switch grass which can be
processed as a bio-fuel; and
WHEREAS, In recognition of his efforts of in-depth magnitude, Leslie
C. Hulcoop has received a multitude of honors and accolades; Mohonk
Consultations, a group dedicated to supporting the interrelationships of
all forms of life on Earth, and through dialogue, to promote practical
means for sustainability, recognizes the achievements of an organization
or individual each year who serves as a testament to the words "Think
Globally, Act Locally"; Mohonk Consultations bestowed its most presti-
gious award upon Leslie in 2007; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Leslie C. Hulcoop served Cornell Coop-
erative Extension Dutchess County with intelligence and caring dedi-
cation, continuously striving to effectively fulfill the duties of his
position; and
WHEREAS, Sincerely loved and greatly respected by all those with whom
he worked, Leslie C. Hulcoop will be remembered for his honesty, integ-
rity, keen sense of duty and ability to show a unique grasp of human
problems in his official acts; and
WHEREAS, Through his diligence and expertise in agriculture, Leslie C.
Hulcoop has brought pride and recognition to himself, his local communi-
ty, and New York State; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the quality of life in their community and have shown a long and
sustained commitment to the maintenance of high standards in their
profession, certainly have earned the recognition and applause of all
the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Leslie C. Hulcoop upon the occasion of his retirement after 23
years of distinguished service to Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess
County, and to wish him continued success in all of his future endeav-
ors; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Leslie C. Hulcoop.