At age 81, Jim Boldy doesn't work his farm in Cabot anymore, but he is still a farmer.

Instead of working in fields, he volunteers to work for other farmers and to educate people about farming.

“We're less than two percent of the population, but we feed the whole world,” Boldy said. “We're the number one industry in Pennsylvania. A lot of people don't realize that.”

Delivering messages like those to people with less knowledge and experience in agriculture and lobbying state and federal lawmakers for 36 years to help farmers earned Boldy recognition as the Butler County Farm Bureau's county volunteer of the month for October.

Boldy is the bureau's vice president, chairs the policy development process and serves on the state and national legislative committees. He served as the bureau's president for 14 years and was the membership chairman for more than 30 years.

“It's helping the farmers out. It's my passion. My dad farmed, my brothers farmed, and I farmed,” Boldy said.

He said he worked a second job for 30 years while he was farming to help make ends meet for his family.

“I'd never change it. Farming is in my blood. I'll be a farmer till I die,” Boldy said.

He said he leases his fields to another farmer and has been working for Safemark, a farm products retailer, for 35 years. Safemark donates part of the profits from the sale of twine to agriculture research and grant programs. He said $3,000 to $4,000 was donated last year.

“It's helping the farmer out,” Boldy said. “I enjoy working with farmers. They deserve it. They're very appreciative. It's my passion.”

He helps staff the bureau's booth at the annual county Farm Show and other events, where he educates people about farming and helps raise money to buy rescue tubes that fire departments use at farm accidents.

When checking the moisture level of shelled corn or grain stored in bins, farmers can find themselves stuck.

“The more they try to get out, they sink deeper,” Boldy said.

Firefighters place rescue tubes around the farmer while an auger removes the grain from the bin. Fire fighters then use a safety belt to pull the farmer out of the bin.

Boldy said 15 farmers across the country died in grain bin accidents last year.

The bureau has provided three fire departments in the county with rescue tubes and wants to buy more to give to other departments, he said.

Children who come to the bureau's booth are keen on learning.

“We show them different things about where food comes from. Kids are interested and really enjoy it,” Boldy said.

The bureau's primary purpose is to lobby legislators regarding issues and legislation that impact farmers.

“We talk about our issues that are important to us. I put my two cents in,” Boldy said.

Legislators are happy to meet with representative from the bureau.

“They say it's important for us to be there. 'We need input. We don't know everything,'” Boldy said.

The issues the bureau discusses with legislators are set at its convention held annually in Hershey.

“We make a policy book and that's what our lobbyists use. Each county votes on policies then we vote on them again in Hershey. I've been going to Hershey for 35 years. I volunteer to do it,” he said.