New York State Fair Opens Today

Go to http://www.nysfair.org/your-fair-visit/agriculture-info/ for information on all agriculture exhibits, schedules and events.

New York state is agriculture.

And agriculture is New York state.

How can you tell? Just visit the Great New York State Fair.

Yes, folks, there is much more to the fair than the rides, the concerts and the food. It’s amazing what you will see if you venture just a short ways outside the Grandstand, Chevy Court or the Midway.

Step inside any of the animal buildings and see all the different breeds of cows, sheep, goats, horses and poultry. Talk to the farmers. Ask them questions. They don’t mind. In fact, they love it.

Beef cattle in the beef barn in 2013

Do you know the difference between a Charolais and a Limousin? Go to the beef cattle barn to find out. Why do some farmers raise Jerseys or Belted Galloways instead of the ever-popular black and white Holsteins? Ask the farmers in the dairy cattle building.

Why do roosters crow? Each day at 11 a.m. in the poultry building, roosters from across the state compete in a crowing contest. I bet some farmers there can give you the low-down on that noisy affair.

And while the state doesn’t have a lot of goat, pig and sheep farmers, that doesn’t mean these folks aren’t passionate about their animals.

This goat checks out the photographer at the 2013 fair.

Go to the goat barn to find out the difference between meat and dairy goats and what goat meat and milk are used for. In the same building, see all the swine of different colors and sizes. Watch a sheep being shorn and find out about what all that wool is used for in the sheep barn. 

Also check out the llamas and alpacas, other animals which supply fiber for clothing. They also are some of the most curious creatures and love having their photos taken.

There are few animals more beautiful than horses and you not only can see them up close and personal in the horse barn, but then go to the Coliseum to watch them compete. There is every type of horse imaginable in this great state of ours – from miniatures to the grand workers Percherons and Belgians – and they all are majestic and mighty and worthy of our attention.

And of course, agriculture isn’t just animals.

Maple syrup at the 2013 State Fair

Be sure to stop at my favorite building – the Horticulture Building -- to see the busy bees making honey, taste some gooey sweet maple products or buy a New York state apple for a delicious and nutritious State Fair snack.

There also are many booths and exhibits of other state agriculture products, such as grains, beer, plants, vegetables, flowers, shrubs and trees (yes, folks, this all is agriculture).

And just outside the right front door of the Horticulture Building, fairgoers can begin to dream of a white Christmas by checking out the New York State Christmas Tree Growers Association and its display of award-winning trees. You might even see Santa and some snow!

The biggest part of the state’s agriculture industry is, of course, dairy.

New York ranks third in the United States in dairy production, behind California and Wisconsin. It ranks number 1 in the country in the production of cottage cheese and yogurt. Annual sales of New York milk total nearly $500 million.

Farmers in New York supply milk to plants throughout the state that are making all types of hard and soft cheeses, fluid milk, ice cream, regular and Greek yogurts, butter, cream and half and half. There’s nothing better than coming out of a store with some dairy products that you know were made just a day or two ago from fresh, New York milk.

While at the State Fair, be sure to taste some of these dairy products in the Dairy Products Building, where you can get milk at the ever-popular Rainbow Milk Bar, cheese, ice cream and – new this year – yogurt at the Yo2Go Yogurt Bar.

Photo supplied by NY Animal Agriculture Coalition

Also, be sure to stop into the dairy cattle building and see all the different breeds that call New York home. Then head back toward the FFA Building and next door, stop at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center. The center, run by the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition, is in its second year and features the live births of dairy calves.

This is where the process of all that delicious milk begins.

Anyone who wants a beverage with a little more a kick than milk can go to the Colannade (the columned area between the Dairy Products and Science and Industry Buildings) to visit the Wine Court. Here you can buy and taste wonderful New York state wines. Talk to the winery owners and find out about just what New York state has to offer.

Tastings of various wine and cheese pairings also are available in the Pride of NY Room located in the back of the Horticulture Building at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. every day except Labor Day. Each day will be hosted by a different New York. On Labor Day, the area will host beer tasting seminars at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m.

Holstein ready to show at the 2013 State Fair

You see – you could spend an entire day at the Great New York State Fair and do nothing but check out the agriculture offered by the farmers of this state. This is the time for the farmers to shine, to show off what they do 365 days a year to all of the great consumers in the state.

So, even if you do attend a concert, play some games on the Midway or chow down on sausage sandwiches or blooming onions, please try to spend some time with the farmers. Thanks to them, we have the most fabulous food in the world that is grown or raised right here in our backyards on our plates each day.

I can’t think of anything more wonderful than that.

More on the Dairy Cow Birthing Center Changes at the Fair

From the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition:

The New York Animal Agriculture Coalition has announced the Dairy Cow Birthing Center exhibit that debuted at the 2013 New York State Fair will return in the same location in 2014, only bigger and better.  

 

The exhibit, which showcased 30 dairy cows giving birth to baby calves, was one of the most popular exhibits at the New York State Fair last year, attracting over 160,000 fairgoers.

“NYAAC is pleased to return this educational exhibit to the New York State Fair, and expand upon the success we achieved last year,” said Jessica Ziehm, executive director for NYAAC.  “The dairy industry couldn’t have been more pleased with the overwhelmingly positive response we received from fairgoers who visited the Birthing Center last year.  Our tent was filled to capacity during most births and the level of interest exhibited by the public was impressive.”

The Dairy Cow Birthing Center will return to the New York State Fair in the same location, on the west end of the fairgrounds, inside Gate 9 and adjacent to the FFA exhibit. In doing so, the exhibit will be housed in a 40 percent larger tent and will offer double the seating for those who wish to observe the birth of a baby calf. In addition to seating, NYAAC will also add large TV screens to enhance the viewing. The TVs will display the live births, as well as show scenes from the featured dairy farm that day.

The Birthing Center will continue to provide a 24-hour live webcam so people can view the births at home, courtesy of Cornell University. Even more exciting, fairgoers this year will have the opportunity to sign in at the exhibit to be alerted via text or email as to when labor commences. These improvements and others made to the Dairy Cow Birthing Center this year are all being done to improve the experience and environment for both fairgoers and animals.  

“During this day in age when good information is hard to find, NYAAC wants consumers to know they can go right to the source when they have questions about dairy farms and milk produced in New York State,” Ziehm said.  “Having real-life dairy farmers and veterinarians available for questions was the second most popular aspect of the Birthing Center and we are thrilled to report that they too are planning to return to the State Fair this year.”

The Dairy Cow Birthing Center is a free, educational exhibit that provides fairgoers the opportunity to witness the live birth of baby calves daily.  Over 100 dairy farmers, veterinarians, affiliated business representatives and agricultural students volunteer their time at the exhibit to assist with the births, explain the process to the public, and answer any questions.  The exhibit also offers calves for petting and educational exhibits about the dairy industry.  Another new feature this year will be year-old calves that were born last year during the State Fair.

NYAAC organizes the exhibit in partnership with the New York State Fair and Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. NYAAC is a farmer founded and funded organization that strives to enhance the public’s understanding of and appreciation for animal agriculture and modern farm practices by engaging the public in conversations about animal agriculture and empowering farmers to tell their story firsthand.

If you or your organization cares to support this initiative by either making a contribution or volunteering your time at the State Fair, contact Jessica Ziehm with NYAAC at jessica@nyanimalag.org or at 518-527-3949.  Visit NYAAC’s website at www.nyanimalag.org for regular updates about the Dairy Cow Birthing Center, along with other dairy farm advocacy efforts taking place around the state.

Dairy Cow Birthing Center to Expand at NYS Fair

Acting State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today (Friday) announced a number of initiatives underway at the Great New York State Fair which will bring even more of a focus on New York agriculture in 2014 and increase the Fair's profile as a premier destination for agritourism in the Northeast. 

"Last year, the Fair did a great job refocusing on its core mission to promote New York agriculture," Ball said. "This year we're going to do it all over again, except bigger and better.  With these initiatives already locked in and much more on the horizon, the 2014 Great New York State Fair is well on its way to being a memorable one."

The theme of the 2014 Great New York State Fair is "Summer's Best in Show," which brings the Fair straight back to its agricultural roots. The Fair runs Aug. 21 to Sept. 1. 

One of the changes coming to the 2014 fair is an expansion of the Dairy Cow Birthing Center.

In 2013, the Dairy Cow Birthing Center, hosted by the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition, debuted on the west end of the Fairgrounds and showcased the live birth of 30 baby calves over the course of the Fair. The exhibit was one of the most popular new exhibits on the Fairgrounds, and will be returning this year in its same location - only bigger. 

The Birthing Center will be held in a larger tent, and will offer twice the seating, as well as large screen TVs for improved visibility. Farmers and veterinarians will once again be on hand to discuss the birthing process and New York's modern dairy farms. Two calves born at the State Fair in 2013 will also return for petting.  

The New York Animal Agriculture Coalition, in conjunction with the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, will again offer a live web feed of the exhibit for those unable to attend the Fair.

"We were blown away with the level of interest in the Dairy Cow Birthing Center last year, and are pleased to offer this exhibit once again at the Great New York State Fair," said Jessica Ziehm, coalition executive director. "We are in the process of making several improvements to the exhibit to ensure everyone has the opportunity to witness a calf be born and learn about New York's dairy industry."

Other changes coming to the fair is the return of the Wine Village to the Colonnade, more competitions and building renovations.

Concerning competitions, the first-ever watermelon carving competition will take place on the first two days of the Fair. Fairgoers will have the opportunity to bring in their own watermelons and carve them right at the Fair near the Horticulture Building. Fairgoers must pre-register for this competition, which they will soon be able to do by going to the Fair's website or calling 487-7711 for an entry form.

Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, said visitors will welcome the wine industry's move back to the Colonnade.

"The decision to move the New York wine industry back to the Colonnade is great news for the New York State Fair, our industry, and consumers" Trezise said. "The wine industry occupied this location for many years before it was moved to a more remote area which was hard for consumers to find, while the Colonnade is center stage.  This is another example of State officials listening to industry and then acting, which is very refreshing and encouraging."

In addition, the "Taste NY" Wine and Cheese competition will return in 2014.  Last year,camembert cheese from Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, paired with strawberry wine from Baldwin Vineyards took home the blue ribbon.  

This competition will return in 2014, as will the entire "Taste NY" experience, including the "Taste NY" trail, tasting tent and at least two wine and cheese seminars daily in the Horticulture Building.   

"People look forward to the Fair all year long, and this new theme describes the Fair as both the true peak of summer and the absolute best of what New York State agriculture has to offer," said Ball. "Every summer, a variety of blue ribbons are awarded during the Fair's annual competitions, highlighting the 'best in show' among all New York agriculture.  But the Fair itself is a cut above the rest and it truly will be this summer's best in show.  What a fitting theme for 2014!!!"