The Big Apple supports Hillary Clinton! This headline would certainly suggest that the greatest city in our country has officially endorsed their senator for president of the United States.
But wait ' perhaps behind the headlines lays another endorsement, one that for farmers across New York State could be much closer to home. Apples farmers in New York have seen and experienced the leadership and the dedication that Senator Clinton has given them over her senate terms, and many of them would like to see her take those leadership skills to the White House.
Now let's be honest about upstate NY agriculture. First of all, it is predominantly Republican, and as voters, they represent fewer votes than a few neighborhoods in any of NYC's predominantly Democratic boroughs, yet Hillary Clinton embraced NY farmers eight years ago when she first ran for the senate. Perhaps because so many said, You can win the cities but you will never convince those upstate conservative Republicans
especially those hard working growers that you are the person for the job.
Well, I am here to tell you, she convinced me; I am a typical conservative Republican that she has impressed and won over. My job is to promote New York apples and to work with the industry on agricultural issues such as trade barriers, immigration issues, increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables and helping to provide NY farmers with equitable farm policies. I have had the opportunity to work with Senator Clinton on all of these issues, and each and every time, she has risen to a leadership role to help either write or support legislation that works for farmers.
Her experience on the hill and her ability to reach across the aisle to work with her colleagues, who represent large commodity states, to convince them of the importance of specialty crops, has helped farmers across our state and the country. From day one, she took on many tough and politically unpopular issues and fought for our industry. She understands the need for a reliable work force to harvest our crops, and she understands the need for a legal system to make this happen. Her approach was not to talk about it, but to take action.
New York has benefited from her leadership, from the orchard, through the pasture and to the vineyard. New York City earned its name, the Big Apple, because of the opportunities that were available for aspiring musicians back at the turn of the century. As voters we have an opportunity today to help reshape our country's leadership. Senator Clinton is our Big Apple!
James S. Allen is the president of the New York Apple Association and writes from Fishers, New York.
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