On Monday, I had the chance to deviate from my normal routine. Sure, I reported to my desk in The Evening Sun newsroom at the requisite time and, as usual, scrambled to meet deadline. But following that, I had a reprieve from my typical day – which usually involves a lot of tapping away at my keyboard and juggling phone calls, interviews and the all too frequent school board meeting. Instead, I had the all-too-rare opportunity to get out of Dodge.

Or, more precisely, Chenango County. And it was all thanks to the Chenango County Farm Bureau.

Two years ago, CCFB President Bradd Vickers dragged me to Albany for the New York Farm Bureau’s annual Lobby Day. I spent two days in the state capital with farmers from across New York, all there to advocate and educate on behalf of our largest industry: Agriculture.

It was my first experience with what is derisively called “Tin Can Tuesdays,” where special interest groups clog the hallways of the Legislative Office Building and Capitol with constituents all bent on the same thing: garnering legislative support and funding for the cause du jour.