The New Jersey State Board of Agriculture presented three Distinguished Service to Agriculture Citations to four individuals during the 110th New Jersey State Agricultural Convention recently.
Those honored at the Joint Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey and State Agricultural Convention Dinner Banquet on February 5, were former New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher and farmers Richard and Rosina Byma, and John Rigolizzo Jr. (posthumously).
“The dedication and service that each of these individuals have given to New Jersey agriculture make their recognition well deserved,” NJDA Secretary Edward Wengryn said. “Their common thread of using their roles and resources to educate and advance our industry provide a solid foundation for the future of agriculture here in the Garden State.”
Douglas Fisher of Gloucester County served as the seventh New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture from 2009 until his retirement on July 1, 2023. Fisher has been the treasurer of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), president of Food Export-Northeast, and President of the Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture. In 2014, he was awarded the Thomas W. Kelly New Jersey Food and Council Government Service Award; in 2010, he received an Honorary American FFA Degree; In 2009, he was given the South Jersey Freeholders Southern Star Award; in 2008, he was named the Legislator of the Year by the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association; and in 2005, New Jersey Farm Bureau named him Legislator of the Year.
As a state legislator, Fisher was the prime sponsor of the law to ban harvesting of horseshoe crabs, which enhanced the survival of many endangered migratory shorebirds in the Western Hemisphere.
Richard and Rosina Byma of Sussex County have been dairy farmers for more than 50 years. They farm more than 600 acres of land they rent and own. The Bymas have made it their mission to educate the public about dairy farming as they have given tours of their farm and facilities. The Bymas have promoted agriculture and the dairy industry by hosting several events through the years. These have included a venison dinner each March and an on-farm greenhouse that sells plants throughout the summer.
John Rigolizzo Jr. was honored posthumously, having passed away in 2024. A Camden County resident, he was a fifth-generation farmer of vegetables and field corn for retail and wholesale markets. He was known for helping local, state, national and international farmers to improve their well-being. He served on numerous committees and organizations on behalf of the agricultural community.
Rigolizzo served with many industry and local groups and received several awards over the years. He wrote articles for numerous publications to help educate the public about many of the issues that farmers and the agricultural community face.
Organizations who qualify to send delegates to the New Jersey State Agricultural Convention may nominate a state farmer for the Distinguished Service Award. For more information, visit nj.gov/agriculture/about/sba/guidelin.html
