LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Hy-Hope Farms upon the occasion of its
designation as the recipient of the 2011 Genesee County Conservation
Farm of the Year Award

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body takes great pride in acknowledging
outstanding individuals and businesses that clearly contribute to the
spirit of excellence and concern for the environment which so distin-
guish the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, The agricultural industry is part of the foundation upon
which our distinct American Heritage is built; New York State and the
entire United States are dependent on our agricultural industry for a
variety of food and dairy products; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Hy-Hope Farms upon the occasion of its designation as the recipient of
the Genesee County Conservation Farm of the Year Award for 2011; and
WHEREAS, Hy-Hope Farms is being recognized for its many environmental
initiatives to protect the creek and watershed; and
WHEREAS, The Totten family has operated Hy-Hope Farms since 1948, when
Fay Totten started milking cows on Horseshoe Lake Road; at age 90, Mr.
Totten still has a presence on the farm, now in its third generation;
his wife Betty also helps with bookkeeping at Hy-Hope; and
WHEREAS, Hy-Hope Farms has added cows in recent years, increasing the
milking herd from 400 cows in 2008 to approximately 600 now; Hy-Hope
also put on a new drive-through, free-stall barn last summer to accommo-
date the bigger herd; and
WHEREAS, In 2008, Hy-Hope Farms built a new manure lagoon and added
filter strips and a leachate collection system, where leachate is pumped
to the lagoon; and
WHEREAS, The county Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD)
acknowledged Hy-Hope Farms for its environmental work done over the
years and decades; the farm participates in the federal Natural
Resources Conservation Service "Conservation Stewardship Program" and is
in compliance with its Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation permit; and
WHEREAS, Dick Totten, the farm's field crops manager, leads the farm's
800-acre crop effort; his brother Ron is in charge of reproduction
services at Hy-Hope; and
WHEREAS, Ron Totten is well regarded in the dairy industry for his
knowledge with animal reproduction and serves on the boards of directors
for Genex Cooperative and Cooperative Resources International, organiza-
tions with a specialty in animal genetics and artificial insemination;
and
WHEREAS, A new generation of Tottens also are helping to lead the
farm; Cory Totten is the farm's herdsman, while Shane Totten assists
Dick with field work and is the farm's mechanic; their cousin, Jody
Shepard is the calf manager, and another cousin, Shin Iburi, handles
nutrition and labor issues for the farm, which has 11 outside employees;
and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when business
organizations of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our
attention, they should be recognized by all the citizens of this great
Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Hy-Hope Farms upon the occasion of its designation as the recip-
ient of the Genesee County Conservation Farm of the Year Award for 2011;
and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Fay and Betty Totten, Hy-Hope Farms.