After 26 years as the head of the nonprofit working for the farmers of Long Island, Joseph M. Gergela III will be retiring by the end of the year.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Gergela by phone. “I think back on all I’ve seen and what’s to come, but I’m tired.”
His retirement, at age 58, is partly due to health problems. Gergela has been living with diabetes for the past 50 years, has had four heart attacks and a kidney transplant. He plans to move to Florida, where he has family, including his mother and a grandchild.
The board of the farm bureau has been notified; no word on a replacement.
Edible has covered Gergela’s career and the farm bureau extensively. For a history on its 100 anniversary click here; for more about Gergela, click here.
