Butter Sculpture Unveiled at New York State Fair

By DEBRA J. GROOM

This year’s New York State Fair butter sculpture is telling everyone to love milk because it’s real.
 

New York Dairy Princess Reegan Domagala with butter sculpture

“Milk. Love What’s Real” is the theme of the 51th sculpture — one of the most visited sites at the entire New York State Fair.
 
In the center of the Dairy Products Building across from Chevy Court, the sculpture is made from 800 pounds of butter made at O-AT-KA Milk Products in Batavia. 

This year’s masterpiece created by artists Jim Victor and Marie Pelton of Conshohocken, Pa., shows a grandfather and child dunking cookies in milk and a young couple sharing a milkshake, illustrating how the love for real dairy connects many cherished moments in life.
 
“When we create meals, we create memories and real dairy is there,” said Joel Riehlman of Venture Farms in Fabius, Onondaga County. “From the ice cream at a child’s birthday party to our cheese pizza on Friday to the milk in our lattes every morning, milk plays an important role in our everyday lives.”
 

One side of the New York State Fair butter sculpture

Also on hand Aug. 20 to unveil the new butter sculpture was Reegan Domagala of Lewis County, the New York State Dairy Princess. One of the key parts of her job is to represent the state’s dairy industry at the New York State Fair and she was smiling and greeting visitors, dignitaries and media throughout the butter sculpture event.
 
After the fair is over on Labor Day, the sculpture will be taken apart by Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and transported to Noblehurst Farms in Linwood, Livingston County, where it will be recycled in a methane digester to create electricity and liquid fertilizer for crops.
 
The American Dairy Association North East is in charge of the butter sculpture each year. The sculpture is sponsored this year by Wegman supermarkets.
 
The New York State Fair runs from Wednesday, Aug. 21 through Labor Day.

Cuomo Announces Development Begins on New Fair Exposition Building

Three development teams from Upstate New York have been selected to respond to a Request for Proposals to design and build a new Exposition Building at the New York State Fairgrounds. 

The new 133,000-square-foot facility will include flexible space for major events such as car shows and auctions, consumer and trade shows, motocross, equestrian events, equipment shows, and other events that complement and expand the Fairgrounds as a premier year-round destination. 

The state will privatize the management and promotion of non-fair events at the Exposition Building. Construction may begin as early as November 2017, with a substantial completion date that will coincide with the 2018 State Fair and is expected to create over 700 construction jobs.  

Conceptual renderings are available https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/State_Fair_Expo_Center_Renderings.pdf

 

"With the brand new Exposition Building, we will bring the State Fair to even greater heights, attracting more visitors and revenue to the region and helping to drive economic growth in the community," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during his visit to the State Fair Aug. 23. 

"The State Fair is an iconic Central New York institution, and with our investments to build dozens of new exhibits, rides and attractions for fairgoers we are transforming the fair into a world-class tourist destination," the governor said.

 

Cuomo also kicked off the 2017 Great New York State Fair, celebrating several key components of his $120 million plan to revitalize the fairgrounds in Onondaga County. 

These improvement projects, including a brand new Broadway Skyliner chairlift ride, renovations in the Indian Village and a new home for the popular New York State Police exhibit as well as brand new exhibits and programming, significantly enhancing the experience for visitors and ensure the fair remains a top economic engine for the Central New York region.

Cuomo Unveils Next Phase of State Fairgrounds Improvements

Gondola proposed for linking fairgrounds to amphitheater

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo Jan. 23 announced Phase Two of the historic redesign and transformation of the New York State Fairgrounds and endorsed the State Fair Task Force recommendation to expand the fair to 13 Days in 2017. 

Phase Two of the capital program to develop the fair into a year-round destination includes $50 million to develop an 80,000-square-foot, multi-use Exposition Center and an aerial gondola to connect visitors to the fairgrounds and Onondaga County’s Lakeview Amphitheater. 

In addition, a $20 million investment from the Upstate Revitalization Initiative will allow for the construction of a new on-ramp to I-690 West and other improvements to the Orange parking lot, while other fair enhancements will include constructing a new Aerial Sky Ride and offering new, diverse events to attract visitors year-round.
“By reimagining one of New York’s historic and beloved traditions, the first phase of our revitalization has already transformed the New York State Fair experience, strengthening a prized tourism destination in Central New York and generating record-breaking attendance in 2016,” Cuomo said.  

“I look forward to continuing the State Fair’s momentum with Phase Two and the additional $70 million in investments to get it done. I thank the Task Force members for their quick work and smart recommendations for this next phase. The new State Fair will bring exciting shows, artisans, concerts, and local food and beverages to visitors from across the state and the nation year-round for generations to come.”

A poster of other events planned for the fairgrounds

In November 2016, Cuomo appointed a State Fair “Phase Two” Task Force of 21 local officials and industry leaders, co-chaired by State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney. 

The Task Force was charged with developing new innovative ideas that would build upon the Phase One improvements debuted at the 2016 State Fair and they provided their recommendations to the governor at the end of 2016.
Taking into full consideration input from the State Fair Task Force, the governor proposed in his Executive Budget $50 million for two transformational capital projects that will compliment and expand upon the work advanced in 2016.
Phase Two Investments Include:

• $35 million to construct a multi-use, 80,000 square-foot hybrid building and Expo Center that will be available year-round for local, regional and statewide events to secure the fairground’s role as a premier year-round destination in Central New York.
• $15 million to build an aerial gondola to transport visitors and concertgoers from the fairgrounds to Onondaga County’s Lakeview Amphitheater and the Loop the Lake Trail, creating an entirely new fair experience in the sky.
• $20 million through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative to construct a new on-ramp to I-690 West and other improvements to the Orange parking lot, to allow for easier parking, travel and less congestion during the annual state fair and other large events throughout the year.

In addition to these recommendations, the annual fair, which has historically run 12 days, will be extended to 13 days allowing additional time for visitors to enjoy New York’s world-class food and beverages, agriculture, arts, shows, concerts, and more.
In 2017, the fair will also add a new premier attraction to the Midway, the Aerial Sky Ride, which will debut opening day of the fair Aug. 23. 

The Sky Ride will be built, operated and maintained by Wade Shows Inc. and will feature at least 100 double-passenger seats, giving fairgoers an unmatched view of Syracuse and the surrounding area while ferrying above the fairgrounds expanded Midway. 

Additionally, as a direct result of the state’s investments to improve and expand the fair, new events have already committed to the fairgrounds to offer more entertainment year-round. 

Right Coast Inc., promoter of the PPG Syracuse Nationals, will bring three brand new events to the New York State Fairgrounds in 2017, including Syracuse SnowCross, Kawasaki Syracuse StadiumCross and the Syracuse Man Show. 

Reservations Being Taken Now for Camping at the NYS Fair

From the New York State Fair:

Empire RV Park on the state fairgrounds is now accepting camping reservations for the full 12 days of the fair.

Empire RV Park lies within the New York State Fairgrounds, home of the nation’s first and oldest state fair and host of about 150 public events each year. 

The Empire RV Park will be available during the Fair to those renting a space for the term of the 12-day Fair. The Great New York State Fair runs for 12 days each year, ending on Labor Day.

The Empire RV Park reservation includes an RV parking site for up to a 16-night stay (includes water, electric, sewer and garbage pick-up), one vehicle parking permit, and two 12-day admission wristband passes to the Fair

The price is $600 plus a $9 reservation fee per site.

Any questions should be directed to 315-487-7711 or go to nysfair.ny.gov

Columbia County Teen Named New York Dairy Princess

Emily Ooms, NYS Dairy Princess

Emily Ooms, of Columbia County, was named New York State Dairy Princess Tuesday night.

Selected as first alternate was Jill DeBlock of Orange County, while April Gokey of Franklin County was named second alternate.

Miss Ooms, 17, is a senior at Chatham High School and the daughter of Timothy and Kristine Ooms. She is a member of 4-H, the Holstein Club, Junior Dairy Leaders and the National Honor Society.

The New York State Dairy Princess contest concluded Tuesday with the crowning after a two days of judging at the Holiday Inn in Salina, north of Syracuse. 

Jill DeBlock, first alternate

The girls in the competition — who already have won their county dairy princess contests — take tests to judge their dairy knowledge and writing skills, go through intensive interviews with the three judges, give both impromptu and prepared speeches and also are judged on their informal interaction with others.
 
Judges evaluate contestants on communication skills, knowledge of the dairy industry, poise and personality.

Miss Ooms, Miss DeBlock and Miss Gokey were winners of the speech contest and Miss DeBlock and Miss Gokey were winners for product knowledge. Winners for written communication were Jessica Skellie of Wayne County, Katie Bower of Cayuga County and Stephanie Treadwell of Herkimer County.

April Gokey, second alternate

About 30 teens competed for the title. Miss Ooms will serve as New York State Dairy Princess for one year and will promote dairy farmers and dairy products throughout the state in schools, industries, companies and at special events.

The big event for the dairy princess each year is the New York State Fair in Geddes, west of Syracuse. She and other county dairy princesses man the dairy princess booth inside the Dairy Products building and make special appearances throughout Dairy Day on the first Monday of the fair.

The new princess takes over for Stephanie McBath of Saratoga County, who was New York State Dairy Princess for 2015-16.

New York State Fairgrounds Grandstand Imploded

Well, the grandstand at the New York State Fairgrounds is no more.

It was imploded Saturday to make way for the fairgrounds renovations. Work will begin Monday as it needs to be done by the Syracuse National show in July.

Here are a couple of photos I took at Saturday's implosion.

For another look, go to https://youtu.be/m4LppjKbx4Y and check out this video from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office. You can also check another video by going to http://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/raw-video-state-fair-grandstand-demolition.

You also can see some GoPro video of the implosion by going to https://youtu.be/bHVEL9Vmtps  

Here are the governor's remarks while he was at the fairgrounds Saturday:

Happy New Year to everyone. 

We are getting ready to go back to work in Albany soon and we are laying out an agenda for the legislature. We are going to continue doing what we’re doing and that is continue focusing like a laser on Upstate and bringing jobs back to Upstate New York and that’s a big part of what today is all about.

We already announced over these past few days, an Upstate economic agenda for upstate New York. We’re going to continue to cut taxes which is, I believe, the key in bringing upstate back economically. We’re going to cut the tax rate for small businesses from 6 down to 4.5 percent. That’s going to make a big difference.

We are going to continue to invest in job-creating activities across Upstate New York. We’re going to freeze the tolls on the New York State Thruway so we keep the cost of doing business down. We’re here with Commissioner Ball, of the Department of Agriculture. All agriculture vehicles on the Thruway won’t have to pay a toll on the Thruway, so farms could have a big boost.

We are going to invest again in the I Love NY campaign which has already created 100,000 jobs for Upstate New York. So a lot of good news, a lot of good work and progress and today is symbolic of even more.

The State Fair, really is in many ways, a metaphor for Upstate New York. It’s where we get together, it’s where we show the state-of-the-art in what we’re doing, where we show off to each other and to the other states all around this country. 

The State Fair is a great institution and the truth is, it needs advancements. It has not had the kind of investment it should have had over the past few years. Parts of it were not competitive anymore like the grandstand, which brings a great sense of nostalgia. You get as old as I am – I have been coming here for many, many years, so there is a real sense of nostalgia about it. 

But especially from the grandstand's point of view, we would have had to invest a lot of money to make it safe again. We would have had to change the entire venue to make it competitive for acts to come. And the county, thanks to County Executive Joanie Mahoney, has built a great new amphitheater which is exactly state of the art, so – this is going to be part of the new fairgrounds,, and that’s how I see it. It’s not that it’s a loss. This is about progress and this is about going forward and this is a big step.

I also want to announce today that I’m going to propose to my colleagues in the legislature to spur tourism in Upstate New York and to spur economic development in Upstate New York, I want to invest $200 million in Upstate airports to make them state of the art, so we get more flights, more business coming in to Upstate New York.

And when you put all these pieces together, its really going to be an exciting year for Upstate New York.

Now on the grandstand, you know everything I know about blowing up a grandstand, which is – there is the plunger. That’s all I know. 

I also know that you will hear a two-minute warning siren. There will be a one-minute warning siren, and then there will be a countdown. The plunger will then be pushed. There will then be a slight delay. And then there will be an explosion that brings down part of the grandstand, which will then facilitate the demolition of the grandstand. 

It is the first time I’ve been part of blowing anything up, physically anyway. I blew up a few things in Albany but not like this. 

So I’m excited to be here and again it’s a beginning of a new year, it’s a beginning of a new environment, a new economy for upstate New York. I’m pleased to be with all my colleagues, my legislative colleagues, my local officials, all my friends, and all the people who turned out today to see this. So we now will begin, and we’ll turn it over to the engineers to do what they have to do and we will assembly around the plunger and we’ll get to work. Thank you.



 

State Fair Cookbook, Ornament Ready for Holiday Gift Giving

News from New York State Fair:

Gift-givers now have that perfect something to put under the tree this year – or on it – to please fans of the Great New York State Fair.  

The fair is selling copies of its Blue Ribbon Recipes book and both of its annual tree ornaments featuring classic State Fair buildings. Order forms are at http://bit.ly/FairXmas

Blue Ribbon Recipes was compiled from entries in the fair’s annual culinary competitions that won their categories and were entered in the Grand Champion competition that takes place on the Fair’s final day. These are the very best entries, going back several years.  The 100-page cookbook is spiral-bound for easy use in the kitchen.

The fair’s annual Christmas tree ornament series, now in its second year, features representations of the Horticulture and Center of Progress buildings in a high-quality oval setting made of pewter, perfect for a place on any Fair fan’s tree. 

The cookbook sells for $15 and the ornaments are $8 each. Payments can be accepted via credit card, cashier’s check or money order. No personal checks can be accepted. Shipping will add $3 to $5 to the final cost.  

Questions can be directed to the Entry Department at 315-487-7711, extension 1337.

3 More Days to Vote for New York State Fair as Country's Best

From the New York State Fair:

There are only three days left to vote for the Great New York State Fair as the Best State Fair in the country, announced Acting Fair Director Troy Waffner.

The Great New York State Fair is in the running for USA TODAY’s 2015 10Best Readers' Choice travel award contest, and New Yorkers and fairgoers are encouraged to continue to vote at http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-state-fair/.  

Voting ends at noon Monday, Sept. 28.

USA TODAY’s expert panel selected the Great New York State Fair as a contender for Best State Fair contest, which launched Aug. 31. The contest gave voters four weeks to vote for their favorite choice.

 
The direct link to vote is at http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-state-fair/great-new-york-state-fair-syracuse-n-y/.  A person can vote once a day for the run of the contest.  

Winners will be announced on 10Best at noon Friday, Oct. 2, then later on USA TODAY.

4-H Helps Youth Develop Many Life Skills

From Empire Farm & Dairy magazine:

Josh Chisholm from a couple of years ago with his cow at the State Fair

If Josh Chisholm had his way, all youths would participate in animal shows.

“I’d highly recommend it,” he said. “It’s a good way to meet people and learn a lot of new things.”

Chisholm, 17, will be a senior at Carthage High School in the fall and has been showing dairy cattle for 10 years. He’s been a regular at the Jefferson County Fair in Watertown, and he showed for two years — 2012 and 2013 — at the New York State Fair near Syracuse.

In his first year there, he took first place in Ayrshire Showmanship and first place in the junior 3-year-old 4-H class. In the open show — in which everyone shows — he placed fourth.

“The state fair is a big competition that everyone takes seriously,” Chisholm said. “You can see how much time people put into it.”
4-H — which stands for head, heart, hands and health — is a worldwide network of youth development and mentoring programs. 

4-H is operated by Cooperative Extension offices throughout the United States and provides educational and developmental programs for youths, including agriculture, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), environment, creative arts, healthy living, and business and citizenship. 

4-H also helps youngsters develop social skills and participate in experiences that provide them with the skills and opportunities to grow into successful adults.

Josh first got involved with cattle when he joined 4-H 10 years ago. He said his grandfather owned a dairy farm at the time and that his mother, Julie, was in 4-H when she was growing up on the farm. His grandmother was a 4-H educator.

“Grandpa bought us calves to show,” Josh said.

From there it was on to learning how to exhibit animals, how to deal with unruly animals, and how to act in a show ring.

Josh said showing as a youth was always fun — getting to see friends you hadn’t seen in a while and spending time at the fair. 

But while showing cattle was “fun and games” when he was younger, it was a more serious endeavor as he got older. He said he learned a lot at each competition and used that knowledge to improve each time he stepped into the show ring.

“I’m a very competitive person, but the biggest thing I learned is you can’t always win,” Chisholm said. “And from that, I learned that I would have to work harder and that there was something I could do better next time.”

He said he remembers one show at the state fair when the judge was having difficulty deciding among the top three competitors. The judge pulled all three cattle out for a final look, and right at that time, Josh’s cow started sidestepping instead of walking normally.

“It angered me,” Chisholm said. “If affects you, but then you have to remember what you’ve learned.”

Chisholm said he isn’t sure which field of study he’ll pursue when he attends college in the fall of 2016, but he’s narrowed his choices to agricultural business, dairy management and environmental conservation.

*** If you'd like to read more stories like this, subscribe to Empire Farm & Dairy magazine. A one-year subscription is $50 and two years are $75. Send a check to Empire Farm & Dairy, 260 Washington St., Watertown, NY, 13601

Piglets, Sows Will Return to New York State Fair

From the state Department of Agriculture and Markets:

Sow and piglets from a previous state fair

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball and New York State Veterinarian Dr. David Smith today announced the return of the hugely popular piglets and sows exhibit and competition at the 2015 Great New York State Fair.  

In 2014, due to a relatively new virus known as Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv), which has a high mortality rate among piglets, a decision was made by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets to suspend the exhibit to protect the well-being of piglets and their mothers.  

Due to the fact that there were no reported cases at the State Fair as well as county fairs in 2014, coupled with no unusual uptick in cases this winter in contrast with last winter, Commissioner Ball and Dr. Smith have made the decision to allow this exhibit to return in 2015.

“I’ve gotten more questions on the status of this exhibit for 2015 than I can count, and after careful consideration by the one of best animal health experts in the country, we couldn’t be more pleased that this wildly popular exhibit is returning to the Fair in 2015,” said Ball. 

“We are first and foremost an agricultural fair, and we take our responsibility as caregivers to the animals there very seriously," Ball said. "This is great news for fairgoers coming to the premier agritourism location in New York State in 2015.”

“We’ve been monitoring this situation with respect to PEDv very closely since its outbreak almost two years ago,” said Dr. Smith. “Our staff was at every agricultural fair in New York state last year monitoring animal health and no evidence of the virus was reported.  Vaccines were also made available to pork producers last year with some success."

A welcome home party for this popular exhibit will take place during the Fair’s media preview day Wednesday, Aug. 26. At any given New York State Fair, there are between four and six sows with eight to 12 piglets each. Fair officials estimate that as many as half of all fairgoers visit the swine-and-piglets exhibit during the 12-day extravaganza.  

New York had 70,000 hogs on Dec 1, 2014, up from 66,000 on Dec. 1, 2013. 

Ed Dutton, owner of Churchill Farms in Holland, NY, said, “As a longtime exhibitor, I think this is great news for fairgoers because seeing piglets with their mothers up close is always one of the most positive experiences at the Fair.” 

Dr. Smith encourages exhibitors at every agricultural fair in the state to practice sound biosecurity to protect their animals, including:

• 4H-ers purchasing feeder pigs for their fair projects should only acquire their feeders from reputable farms. If they’re from out of state ask to see the certificate of veterinary inspection.
• All swine should be examined closely before taking them to the fair.  Exhibitors should take their animals’ temperature prior to the trip to the fair. Swine with temperatures over 102.5 should be left home.
• If any of your pigs have diarrhea, no pigs from the affected farm should go to the fair.

• All exhibitors should practice a high level of sanitation at every fair, including avoiding unnecessary contact with other swine and other exhibitors’ equipment.
• Left over feed and bedding are best discarded at the fair and not brought home, since these materials are very difficult or impossible to disinfect.
• Isolate all pigs after returning home for at least 2 weeks. Observe pigs closely during this period and consult a veterinarian if any become sick

Hand sanitizers will again be used at barns located throughout the 12-day fair.

PEDv is relatively new to the US, first appearing in the Midwest in May 2013 and has taken a heavy toll on the nation’s hog farmers, having caused the death of millions of piglets since its outbreak. When sows and litters become infected, PEDv kills nearly 100 percent of piglets less than 10 days old, while pigs older than 10 days tend to recover.

Search for State Fair Director, Management to Continue

The state Department of Agriculture and Markets announced Wednesday the search for a new director of the New York State Fair will be extended and a new timeline developed as part of a comprehensive review of the fairgrounds and its year-round operations.

Former Syracuse mayor Matthew J. Driscoll, president and CEO of the New York State Environmental Facilities Corp., who led the initial search at the behest of Governor Cuomo, said there were many potential candidates for the job, but more work needs to be done to find the right manager for the fair and fairgrounds.

"It became apparent to the search committee and the Department that the future of the Fair, as well as the development and management of the year-round fairgrounds, may require a broader set of skills and management approaches," Driscoll said. "Concurrent with an expanded search, the Department will have the opportunity to explore business opportunities with a variety of vendors related to the Fair, its year-round operations, and its grounds. Job candidates identified by the search committee will remain under consideration.”

In conjunction with this revised approach, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced today the appointment of Troy Waffner as Acting Director, who will lead the Fair’s management team through 2014.

Troy Waffner has served as Assistant Director of the Fair since 2010.  Prior to that, he served for 17 years in a variety of state government positions focused on agricultural-related issues, including stints in both the State Assembly and Senate.

“Troy Waffner has done a phenomenal job over the past few months in keeping the Fair on track for 2014," said acting Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets Richard Ball.

2013 New York State Fair Logo Unveiled

Here is the logo for the 2013 New York State Fair with the theme "Sharing the Bounty and Pride of NY" emblazoned across the top.

New York State Fair Promoting NY Wines

This is from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets:

The New York State Fair is putting some new initiatives into effect this year to promote New York wines.

State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine today announced the annual competition for New York’s amateur and professional wine makers, along with free public wine tastings in the International Building both highlight an exciting effort to display the vitality of one of New York’s signature industries.

“There is no better place to market New York state agricultural products than the 12-day Great New York State Fair,” said Aubertine. “Where else but the Fair can New York State businesses mass market their products to a million people? This is an exciting time to be in the wine business and the Fair is proud of its role in helping this growing New York industry market itself as a world class enterprise for fairgoers.”  

New York’s wineries provide both quantity and quality.  The state is the third largest producer of wine and grape juices. At the same time, New York wines are winning more fans and more gold medals at competitions around the world.

The fair’s effort to promote New York wines is visible in the twin annual competitions for professional wineries and amateur winemakers. Commercial wines will be judged on July 13 and amateur wines on July 16. Wines must be received by July 5 for the commercial wine competition and by July 10 for the amateur competition. 

In 2012, 61 professional wineries submitted 365 bottles of their best creations for judging. In the amateur competition, 144 exhibitors turned in bottles of 494 wines in various categories.

Go to http://www.nysfair.org/competitions/how-to-enter for full details on how to enter both competitions.

Fairgoers can judge the quality of professional wines for themselves in the International Building, where the winemakers man a booth that provides free samples of the wines submitted to the competition  The winemakers use the booth to reach new customers and provide education to people about the different types and tastes of wine.

The State Fair hosts 49 competitions covering everything from crops and flowers to animals, classic cars and talent.  Participants do not need to win a local competition in order to enter a State Fair competition.

         

State Home Brew Competition Winner Will See Winning Brew Made by Utica Brewery

Here's a release from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets:


State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine today announced that the Great New York State Fair is teaming up with one of the state’s largest breweries to offer one home beer hobbyist the opportunity of a lifetime.


It all begins with the State Fair’s annual Home Brew competition, which takes place May 31 and June 1. In 2012, dozens of amateur beer brewers submitted bottles of their best work for judging.  Judges from the Salt City Brew Club handed out bronze, silver, gold and double gold medals in the American Homebrewers Association-sanctioned event.  This year, there’s an additional prize for the best beer in the competition.

Utica’s F.X. Matt Brewing Co., brewers of Saranac beers, will offer the winner the opportunity to have his or her beer recipe brewed in Saranac’s new pilot brewery, its research and development facility.  The beer that results from the work in the pilot brewery will be entered in the Pro Am Competition at the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado.

“This is a great opportunity for us to work more closely with the homebrewing community,” said F.X. Matt’s Product Development Manager Rich Michaels, who runs the state-of-the-art pilot brewery. “There’s actually a chance for us and the homebrewer to win a medal.”

Michaels said the winner will provide him with two bottles of the winning brew. The beer will then be analyzed in the pilot brewery. The recipe may undergo slight modification, if necessary, so it can be brewed in a commercial facility. Michaels will set a date for the beer to be brewed and the winning homebrewer will be on hand to watch and assist in the production of the final product to be sent to the competition.

“This competition and our partnership with F.X. Matt Brewing Co. is one more way that the fair will live up to its theme of ‘Sharing the Bounty and Pride of NY’ and its mission of showcasing the state’s agricultural industry,” said New York State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine.  “Our support of amateur brewers in turn helps them support a growing sector within agriculture, strengthening farms and local economies.”

Home brewers interested in entering the competition should be advised that the deadline for entries is May 16.  Go to http://www.nysfair.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2013-Home-Brew-rules-classes.pdf or http://www.nysfair.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2013-Home-Brew-entry-form.pdf for more information or for an entry form.


The New York State Fair features competitions in a wide range of categories, involving animals, crops, cuisine, cars and more.  Any New York State resident can enter any State Fair competition.

New York State Fair Theme Selected

"Sharing the Bounty and Pride of New York" is the theme of teh 2013 New York State Fair.

Go to http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/04/new_york_state_fair_theme_sele.html to read about the theme and how it was selected.

Here is a link http://www.agriculture.ny.gov/AD/release.asp?ReleaseID=2594 to the full Department of Agriculture and Markets news release.

2013 New York State Fair Seeks Competitors

Go to http://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/03/nys_fair_call_for_blue_ribbon.html#incart_m-rpt-2 for more information on how to compete in various competitions at the fair.