HARRISBURG, Pa. — The State Council of Farm Organizations (PSCFO) announced that Joel B. Rotz, Manager, PA Farm Bureau’s Government Affairs & Communications Division, is the recipient of the PSCFO 2020 Dedication to Agriculture Award.
This annual honor is bestowed on an individual who has devoted him or herself to promoting the interests of farmers and the understanding by consumers of the importance of agricultural production.
Joel Rotz directs the Government Affairs & Communications Division which is responsible for PA Farm Bureau’s lobbying and communications programs. It works to implement PFB policy objectives in state and national legislative and regulatory activities. It also provides members with information to aid in their involvement in policy development and implementation efforts and informs the public on issues crucial to agriculture and rural life. In addition, the division assists with the marketing of member programs and builds productive working relationships with the news media and other groups.
During his tenure at the PA Farm Bureau, he has chalked up many legislative achievements for farmers, some of which are:
- Passage of legislation protecting the farmer’s right to farm from punitive local ordinances
- Multiple improvements to Clean & Green resulting in lower tax assessments for land used for hunting, agri-entertainment, and energy production
- Passage of a new law effectively eliminating the state Inheritance Tax for working family farms
- Key changes in the Vehicle Code, one of which allows larger, modern farm equipment to travel on roads
In part because of his twenty years owning and operating a dairy farm in Franklin County, Rotz is also the PFB’s Dairy Specialist.  He has been with the PA Farm Bureau since 1995.
–Pennsylvania State Council of Farm Organizations
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