President's Medal
Carl W. Fribolin
Honored for his work as a local agriculturalist innovator, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Carl W. Fribolin has devoted himself the Finger Lakes community. Throughout his life, Fribolin has been instrumental in both revitalizing land and sustaining the arts in the region.
After graduating from Cornell University in 1940, Fribolin founded Seedway, a seed-growing and distribution business, in 1963. Fribolin sold the business to Agway, Inc. in 1987, but not before he had established six new seed production farms throughout the northeast.
In 1973, Fribolin purchased White Springs Farms in Geneva, N.Y. Five years ago, he planted 13 acres of grapes, creating White Springs Winery. Those 13 acres have since become 40 and are populated by a variety grapes.
Consistent with his mission to sustain the arts in Geneva, Fribolin is a member of the Geneva Arts Development Council Board and a board member and past Vice President of the Smith Opera House. As Co-Chair of the Smith's Restoration Endowment Projects, Fribolin led a team of community members in restoring the Smith Opera House to its intended state as one of the most historic and recognizable theatres in the Finger Lakes.
An honorary member of the Finger Lakes Health Foundation, Fribolin is also Trustee Emeritus of Keuka College.