Joseph and Jane Falcone Honored as Outstanding Achievement Award Winners in 2011

The Falcones own and operate Falcone Farms, one of the most successful farming operations in Western New York, in nearby Silver Creek. Its 500 acres of Concord grapes makes Falcone Farms a major player in the grape-growing industry and Joseph (’74), the third generation in his family to operate the farm, currently serves as president of National Grape Cooperative and chairman of the board of directors of Welch’s, the food processing and marketing division of National Grape. Jane is manager of Falcone Farms Apples.

Falcone Farms includes another 2,200 acres devoted to beans, vegetables, apples and small grains. The couple met at Fredonia when Joseph, a graduate of Alfred University, was a teaching assistant pursuing a master’s in Biology, and the former Jane Schuster (’74) was pursuing her bachelor’s in Biology and performing undergraduate research. Both studied under Dr. Irvin Schmoyer.

Strong supporters of Fredonia, the Falcones created the Joseph C. and Jane E. (Schuster) Falcone Biology Endowment fund through the Fredonia College Foundation to provide scholarships to Biology majors. The greenhouse in the new Science Center will bear their name.