Sad Ending for C-Section Cow from 2014 State Fair

Vets operate on the cow during the 2014 State Fair to deliver her calf.

“Awwwwww.”

The veterinarians pulled out a stillborn calf. The audience members had been on the edge of their seats for more than an hour, wondering how this drama was going to end.

Their collective sound of pain told the story.

It was Dairy Day at the 2014 New York State Fair, that glorious 12 hours to celebrate all that is great about milk, cheese, ice cream and yogurt.

Thousands of people were on the fairgrounds watching milkshake making contests, trying out yogurt parfaits, tasting great New York cheeses and visiting the Empire State’s fabulous dairy cattle.

They also had filed in and out of the Dairy Cow Birthing Center to watch the beginning of the milk cycle -- the miracle of a calf’s birth. It was the second year for the birthing center and a huge hit at the fair.

But this day was a little different. Life played out in front of hundreds of people in the birthing center at about 3 or so that afternoon.

A dairy cow owned by Walnut Ridge Dairy in Lansing, Tompkins County, was ready to give birth. People packed the bleachers and seats to witness the birth.

Each day, three cows would give birth to calves in the center. Adults and children alike ooohed and aaahed as the cute little Holsteins slipped into the world. The mother cow would produce milk from giving birth and from there, she would be milked daily to provide all of us delicious milk to drink or dairy products to eat.

But on Dairy Day, of all days, things didn’t go as planned for this one cow.

“What’s going on?” I asked a lady on the bleachers as I sat down, a few minutes after the drama had begun.

“She’s having problems,” the lady said of the cow. “They’re not sure what’s wrong.”

After watching for a while, I heard Steve Palladino, a partner in Walnut Ridge Dairy, and others on the scene thought either she had a stillborn calf or possibly there were twins on the way.

A bunch of veterinarians came in. They reached inside the cow’s birth canal to see if they could grab the calf and pull it out. That effort failed.

Palladino, nervous for his cow, told the packed house what was going on. People asked questions and Palladino and others tried to answer as best they could.

“My main concern was for the cow,” Palladino said.

Eventually, it became obvious to the veterinarians that a Caesarian section would have to be performed on the cow. Jessica Ziehm, executive director of the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition which runs the birthing center, said this definitely was not planned, but it shows what real life is like on a farm.

The C-section was performed. Spectators were warned in advance that they might want to leave if they couldn’t stomach what was being done. I was sitting right in back of the cow and I have to say, the entire operation was shielded pretty well from view so those watching really couldn’t see anything objectionable.
 
"I was a nervous wreck," Palladino said. "It's bad enough your cow is going through this but in front of 600 to 700 people?"

There weren’t twins. Only one calf that was stillborn.

“Awwwwww,” the audience said in unison when it heard the outcome.

The cow’s incision was sewn up. The audience was told they would keep an eye on her to be sure she was healing well.

Palladino said at that time she would be able to have more calves and remain a productive member of the Walnut Ridge dairy herd.

But, it was not to be. When checking up on the cow in July, I was told she had been sold to slaughter.

A heart-wrenching decision, to be sure. Palladino said the cow never made much milk after the stillborn birth. 

A farmer has to weigh the costs when considering his herd -- does he want to use a lot of feed to keep a cow going if that cow doesn’t produce milk the farmer can sell?

Ziehm said dairy farms are businesses and “at the end of the day they must make decisions that allow them to keep feed in front of the cows, the lights on and bills paid.”

“She did not come into milk or produce enough milk after she calved to justify keeping her in the herd,” Ziehm said. “This is always a difficult decision for a dairy farmer as they have thousands of dollars invested in raising her, as well as the cost of the surgery. So this is not only a tough call emotionally as this is an animal that was raised and cared for from birth on the farm, it’s a significant financial loss as well.”

Palladino said the decision was rough, but one that had to be made.

"Ninety percent of cows that have had C-sections are bred back," Palladino said. "She healed fine, but she didn't come into milk well. This doesn't normally happen."

So in late February or early March -- Palladino couldn't remember exactly -- the cow was sold.

Yes, the Dairy Cow Birthing Center and all dairy farms are real life, folks.

It's Apple Time in NYS

It's apple time again in New York state.

For information about all the wonderful varieties of apples grown here, go to http://www.nyapplecountry.com/ When there, click on "find apples/event" to locate a grower near you and click on "varieties" to find out about all the different locally grown apples you have to choose from in New York state.

You also can go the Horticulture Building during the State Fair and check out the apple exhibit. Folks working there would be happy to answer your questions.

Dairy Day Filled with Fun, Real-Life Heartache

By Debra J. Groom

It was all about dairy on Monday for Dairy Day at the Great New York State Fair.

Here’s the lo-down on what happened.

Cow is sutured after a C-section in the Dairy Cow Birthing Center

Dairy Drama

The only way any dairy product makes its way to our plates, bowls or cups is with the birth of a calf.

Once a dairy calf is born, the mother cow begins producing milk which the farmer collects, sells to processors and then it is made into yummy fluid milk, ice cream, all sorts of cheeses, sour cream, cream, butter and yogurt.

Fairgoers – for the second straight year – get the chance to witness this “udder miracle” of birth each day at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center. Put on by the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition and its director Jessica Ziehm, three calves are born each day at the fair.

But on Dairy Day, things were different. Fairgoers not only got to witness birth, but they got to see the real nitty-gritty of farm life. They got to see that sometimes, things don’t go well.

A 5-year-old Holstein from Walnut Ridge Dairy in Lansing, Tompkins County, went into labor about 8 a.m. Most expected her calf to be born about noon or a little after.

Another cow gave birth about 11 a.m. – a little bull. The Dairy Cow Birthing Center was packed with more than 600 people anxiously awaiting the second birth.

But something was wrong. Steve Palladino, a partner on the Lansing farm, said the labor wasn’t progressing normally. Veterinarians from Cornell University who are working the fair came in to check her out.

Donning their long plastic sleeves, they pushed their arms deep inside the cow’s vagina and uterus. Their diagnosis – there might be two calves (which is rare), the calf or calves are in the wrong position to be born or the calf or calves may be stillborn.

The vets tried to get the calf or calves out the normal way, but it didn’t work. They believed the calf or calves were deformed.

A C-section had to be performed right there, right in the Dairy Cow Birthing Center.

“This is Steve’s cow and he cares very much about all his animals,” Ziehm told the crowd. “This is the best move for the cow.”

Little bull calf born earlier on Monday

The fairgoers were told this would be a bit messy and traumatic and they should decide whether they want to stay for the operation. “Sometimes what happens on the farm doesn’t smell good and doesn’t look good,” Ziehm said. “But unfortunately, sometimes things go wrong when you’re dealing with life.”

The vets gave the cow a local anesthetic, shaved the area where the incision could be made, cleaned the area numerous times, and then made the cut on her left side. This side faced away from all fairgoers but is the normal side for a C-section incision, Palladino said.

When the vet finally cut through to the uterus, he and everyone else still wasn’t sure what he would find. He pulled out one calf – it was deformed and stillborn. There wasn’t a second calf.

A collective “awwwwww” moved through the barn.

The cow was stitched up and will be fine. She will undergo a series of antibiotics to cut down on the chances of infection.

Ziehm, who grew up on a dairy farm and married a dairy farmer, said she had never seen a C-section on a cow. It is quite rare.

“This was not ideal,” Ziehm said. But she said it was important to go ahead with the C-section right there in front of the public to “enhance the transparency” of what farmers do to care for their animals. She said they didn’t want it to be secretive so the public would wonder what they are doing to the cow.

“This is real life and everything we’re doing is for the health of this cow,” Ziehm said during the C-section. “This is as transparent as it’s going to get.”

This was the cow's third calf. Palladino said she will be able to have another calf in the future.

Frank Adamski, right, of the Dairy Products Building Task Force, holds a block of cheese for auctioneer Bill Magee, left.

Do I hear $25?

Assemblyman William Magee, D-Nelson, Madison County, was back at the State Fair again in his role as auctioneer during the annual Cheese Auction. Bricks of sharp New York state cheddar – ranging in size from 2 pounds to 40 pounds – are sold to raise money for the Dairy Products Building.   

He auctioned off 22 bricks of cheese and four baskets filled with various cheeses from New York producers such as Kraft, Yancey’s Fancy, Heluva Good, Great Lakes Cheese, Macadam, Colosse, Herkimer Cheese and Sorrento.

Magee, who is chair of the state Assembly Agriculture committee, also works as an auctioneer.

Yogurt Bar a hit

A yogurt parfait with strawberries and blueberries

People were lined up throughout the day to get a parfait made of regular or Greek yogurt at the new YO2GO yogurt bar in the Dairy Products Building.

Gary Repko, who was running the bar, said business has picked up each day of the fair. As of about noon Monday, he estimated the bar had sold 4,500 pounds of regular and Greek yogurt.

“I’ve been surprised, we’re selling more Greek,” he said, noting it’s about 60-40 on Greek to regular yogurt sales.

Fairgoers can buy either type of yogurt which is served in a parfait cup and then have it covered with a variety of toppings. The yogurt is about as fresh as it can get – it’s made at Cornell University in its own processing plant with milk from its own herd of dairy cattle.

Melissa Midgley and Teddy Boileau of The Dinosaur 95.3 and 103.9 radio in Syracuse and Otsego County Dairy Princess Sandy Mravlja work on their milkshake during the celebrity milkshake contest. Their special ingredient was coffee.

If that news gig doesn’t work out …

The team from NewsChannel 9 WSYR TV won the annual Celebrity Milkshake Making Contest on Dairy Day at the State Fair.

Teams from various television and radio stations (with help from county dairy princesses) had to concoct milkshakes using special ingredients they were given, such as Marshmallow Fluff, fiber cereal, coffee and peanut butter. Channel 9’s special ingredient was coconut pudding.

Yancey is Fancy

The annual Dairy Products competition is complete and the winners are on display in the Dairy Products Building.

The grand champion was gouda cheese made by Yancey’s Fancy, located in Corfu in Genesee County.

Gold and silver awards are given in many categories, such as dip, ricotta, cold-pak process cheese, fluid milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, flavored natural cheese, lowfat yogurt and cheeses from milk other than a cow. Then the gold winners are all judged to come up with a grand champion.

Rachel Rouland, of Clifton Springs, with Spice Girl before their appearance on the Bridge Street TV show on Dairy Day.

A large industry

Dairy is king as far as New York agriculture is concerned.

New York’s dairy industry generates more than $2.8 billion in farm sales, constituting nearly half of the state’s total agricultural receipts. The state is the third leading producer of milk in the nation, with 610,000 dairy cows producing more than 13.5 billion pounds of milk annually.

The state ranks first in the nation in the production of yogurt and cottage cheese. Wyoming County is the state’s top dairy county, followed by Cayuga County and St. Lawrence County.

  

Dairy Day at the State Fair

I'm off to Dairy Day at the Great New York State Fair today.

Check back for a story later!

New York Farm Bureau President Tours State Fair

To see a video about the farm providing cows for the first couple of days at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center, go to http://www.nyanimalag.org/pride-progress-video-karen-merrell/

Watching the birth of a calf may seem old hand to someone like New York Farm Bureau President Dean Norton.

But Thursday, while touring the New York State Fair, Norton, whose family owns a dairy farm in Genesee County, stopped in to see the Dairy Cow Birthing Center and witnessed a new life come into the world.

Norton

“People were amazed,” Norton said of the hundreds on hand for the birth – the beginning of the cycle of producing dairy products like milk, ice cream and cheese.

“There were a lot of ooohs and aaaahs,” he said.

This is the second year for the birthing center, which was a hit during its debut at the 2013 fair. It has expanded this year with more space and more seating. Three live births are scheduled for each of the 12 days of the fair.

Norton spent his hours at the fair talking to farmers about what concerns they have in the agriculture industry and talking with state residents about what farmers do and the importance of agriculture in New York state.

He also discussed two pieces of legislation that will be important to farmers this year.

One is the farmworker bill. This proposed law has been written and comes up for action in the state Legislature each year. But to date, it has not passed.

Norton said the bill – being pushed by legislators from New York City – would require overtime, mandatory days of rest and collective bargaining for farm workers and more inspections of worker domiciles.

Farm Bureau is opposed to the bill because of the additional cost and regulation it would put upon farmers. Norton said the bill is unneeded because farmers already treat their workers well.

“Legislators from the city seem to think we’re harming our workers,” Norton said. 

Norton said he and Farm Bureau also hope to work with the state Legislature “to help rural counties start FFA programs.”

“We would like to put together a fund to expand FFA and agriculture education throughout New York state,” Norton said. He said tight budgets and other educational mandates preclude school districts in the state to create FFA program, so county farm bureaus, educators and other officials could work together to see gifts, grants and state money to start these FFA chapters.

“Ag education is very important,” Norton said.

In addition to talking to fairgoers and farmers and discussing legislation, Norton also made time for a fair tradition.

“I got my Gianelli sausage sandwich,” he said.  

State Fair Butter Sculpture Unveiled

The 2014 New York State Fair Butter Sculpture

The campaign to get more milk into food banks and onto the tables of lower-income families is the theme of this year's Butter Sculpture at the New York State Fair.

Sculptors Jim Victor and Marie Pelton have put together a piece that shows a dairy famer dropping off fresh gallons of milk at his local food bank. Dairy farmers, milk processors and Feeding America have joined forces to raise awareness and improve access to milk for families in need through the Great American Milk Drive.

And fairgoers will be able to help out too.

"We're encouraging fairgoers to make their own donations, either by visiting the website www.milklife.com/give or by texting MILK to 80088, to give $5 to Feeding America," said Rick Naczi, chief executive officer for the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council in Syracuse. "These donations will be converted into coupons for milk so that local food pantries can best manage their supply."

The state's food banks are able to provide only about one gallon of milk each year to the families they serve, according to statistics from the American Dairy Association. Feeding America, dairy farmers and milk processors -- through the Great American Milk Drive -- hope to bring more milk into food banks.



 

Buy Tickets to State Fair Online

The state is making it easier to buy tickets for the Great New York State Fair.

For the first time ever, people can buy tickets online to attend the fair, which runs from Aug. 21 ot Sept. 1.

The fair has debuted a new online purchasing page on its website at nysfair.org/buy-tickets that offers tickets at a 40 percent discount over the price at the gate.

The secure website sells five products including the single-day ticket, which will be mailed free of charge to buyers:

• A single-day advance sale ticket, for $6. That’s a 40 percent savings over the $10 charge for admission at the gate during the Fair.
  
  
• A Frequent Fairgoer ticket book, which contains 6 days’ worth of tickets, for $30. That’s a 50 percent savings over the full general admission price.
  
  
• A single-day rides wristband voucher, for $20. The voucher saves $5 over the weekday price and $10 over the weekend price. The wristband allows a fairgoer to ride the all-new Wade Shows Midway rides all day.
  
  
• A voucher for the Mega Pass, for $70, which allows a fairgoer to ride Midway rides all day every day of the Fair.
  
  
• A daily parking pass for $5.​

This is the first time that the Frequent Fairgoer ticket book and parking passes have been available beyond the State Fair Box Office. The online site joins a massive network of grocery and drug stores, including nearly every Wegmans, Price Chopper, Tops, and Kinney Drug, that last year sold more than 300,000 advance sale tickets. Select stores also sell ​one-day ride wristbands.

New York Still Number 2 in Maple Production

New York again is the second largest maple syrup producer in the country.

Figures released Friday June 27 show New York producers in 2014 made 546,000 gallons of syrup with 2.2 million taps. New York edged out Maine for the number 2 spot – Maine syrup makers made 545,000 gallons in 2014.

Number 1 is still held by Vermont, with 1,320,000 gallons of syrup made.

Production this year is down a bit from 2013 when producers made 574,000 gallons. The weather was challenging this year because the cold weather held on longer this late winter and early spring, resulting in a late start to the sap flow.

Producers with newer vacuum equipment had an easier time of it as they were able to get more sap out of the maple trees than those producers who rely on regular sap flow into buckets.

“Every year, we are reminded that Mother Nature is in charge and the percentages of maple syrup colors produced in largely determined by environmental factors,” said Dwayne Hill, president of the New York State Maple Producers Association. “This was, there was a low percentage of light amber syrup, with most of the crop comprising medium and dark colors. This is a good thing for consumers as the most popular flavors of maple are medium and dark amber.”

The maple association always has a large booth inside the Horticulture Building at the New York State Fair. The association announced this week it will have two new exhibits in its booth this summer.

For more information, go to www.nysmaple.com

New Exhibits Planned for Maple at New York State Fair

Buckets hang from maple trees collecting sap.

The New York State Maple Producers Association will have a new exhibit at the New York State Fair this summer.

Association Executive Director Helen Thomas said the exhibit, in the Horticulture Building, will feature a working tubing system with water (representing sap) so people can see how the sap moves from the tree into a collection releaser. The releaser will periodically fill and dump, creating a noise and splash.

The association also is designing a cutaway of a tree to show how the sap flows up and down in the maple tree as the temperature changes.

“These two features will highlight a brand new interactive display that will make folks feel like they are standing in the maple woods,” Thomas continued. “This display will also provide fairgoers with free samples of maple syrup. We hope that these new features will entice people to stop at the maple center where we make all sorts of confections on the premises, and where they can meet and talk with the hard working maple producers of the Great State of New York.”

New York state ranks second nationwide in maple syrup production (Vermont is number 1) and accounts for 18 percent of the nation’s output with 574,000 gallons produced in 2013.  

“This year, we want fairgoers to encounter the mystery of maple’s sweet sap,” Thomas said. “How does the maple tree share its tasty sweetness?  How do they get all that sap out of the woods and over to the sugarhouse?  How does the sap become the great sweetener we know as maple syrup?  You can experience these mysteries first hand by stopping by the new maple display in the Horticulture Building at the New York State Fair beginning Aug. 21.”

 “Maple syrup is such a hugely important agricultural industry here in the state,” said state Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball.  “The primary focus of the Great New York State Fair is to educate fairgoers about the breadth of New York agriculture and we are pleased that the New York State Maple Producers Association will be ramping up their educational efforts at this year’s fair.”    

For more information about New York’s huge maple industry, please visit www.nysmaple.com.

Vaccine for Pig, Hog Virus OKed for Use in NY

News from the state veterinarian Dr. David Smith:

A vaccine has been approved for use in New York state that will help protect swine against the PED (Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea) virus.

This will not change the decision to eliminate sow and piglet exhibits at the 2014 State Fair. But it will help swine farmers.

Here is Smith's statement:

“Last month, in an effort to protect the health and safety of animals in our care, we announced The Great New York State Fair would suspend its piglets and sows exhibit for 2014 due to Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) virus, which has taken a heavy toll on the nation’s hog farmers. 

When sows and litters become infected, PED kills nearly 100 percent of piglets less than 10 days old.  At that time, we stated that a vaccine that effectively induces protective immunity against PED would be a powerful tool in helping swine across New York State overcome this disease.  

Yesterday, the State Department of Agriculture and Markets reached out to Harrisvaccines in order to expedite the approval to use their PED vaccine, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) Vaccine, RNA, in New York State.  This vaccine is now approved for use in New York under a conditional license from USDA’s Center for Veterinary Biologics, which assures us of the product’s safety and purity.  

USDA’s conditional license also indicates that there is reasonable expectation that the vaccine does provide some degree of protection against PED. Conditional licensure is reserved for situations in which an animal health emergency exists and serves to shorten the time to get new vaccines to market.  We expect the vaccine to come to market in New York State around mid-July.  

As is the case with any veterinary vaccine or drug, the Department strongly recommends that swine owners consult with their veterinarian to decide whether or not this product is appropriate for their herd and their production practices.

While this vaccine will not change our decision with respect to the piglets and sows exhibit at this year’s State Fair, the state wants swine producers in New York to have every available tool to combat PED. And while it is too early to speculate on how much impact this particular vaccine will have, it does indeed look promising.”

New York State Fair Wins Awards

From New York State Ag and Markets:

            State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today accepted the Medal of the Onondaga Historical Association on behalf of the Great New York State Fair in recognition of the Fair’s ongoing efforts to educate the public through history.

            “As the oldest state fair in the United States, the Great New York State Fair itself is filled with rich history, and part of our job as administrators of the Fair is passing down that history to others,” Commissioner Ball said.  “We thank the Onondaga Historical Association for this great honor and look forward to doing our part to promote history once again at the 2014 Great New York State Fair.”

New Shipwreck Exhibit:

            Continuing the Fair’s aim to promote history in 2014, Commissioner Ball and Acting State Fair Director Troy Waffner today announced a new exhibit that will take place at this year’s Fair called “Great Shipwrecks of NY’s “Great” Lakes.”  NY Sea Grant is partnering with the Great New York State Fair, Great Lakes Seaway Trail, Great Lakes Research Consortium, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, and the H. Lee White Marine Museum along with other partners and sponsors to present this new exhibit, which will tell the story of various shipwrecks located throughout the state. 

For more than three centuries, Lakes Erie and Ontario, and the Niagara and St. Lawrence Rivers, in addition to the Finger Lakes, Lake Champlain, and Lake George, have been major thoroughfares for military, shipping, and recreational endeavors. As a result, their waters are home to an extraordinary collection of historic shipwrecks. In fact, hundreds of shipwrecks are located across New York State, including Benedict Arnold’s gunboat Spitfire, which was discovered at the bottom of Lake Champlain in 1997.

Travelers and residents are fascinated by the story of these vessels, the people that lived and worked aboard them, and the scientists who study them today. This exhibit will guide fairgoers through a journey on the many ways they can continue discovery of New York’s shipwrecks whether it be diving underwater, exploring a historic site, or taking in a scenic view.

            A 30 by 60 foot tent will be situated in the mini-state park, located just outside of the Horticulture Building on the Art and Home Center side.  It will display a replica 18th century bateau, which is a French and Indian War vessel.  The display will also provide fairgoers with information on various wreckages throughout the state through panels, photographs and videos.  In the reflecting pool, a remote sensing buoy will provide real time weather and water conditions. 

David G White, Recreation Specialist at NY Sea Grant, and Associate Director at the Great Lakes Research Consortium, said, “New York is home to some of the most important and historically significant shipwrecks in the entire country, and this summer our goal is to help educate fairgoers on some of the history that took place right in their own backyards.  Our ‘Great Shipwrecks of NY’s “Great” Lakes’ exhibit will highlight some of this history and bring New Yorkers back in time to when our waters were the most important transportation and strategic defense hubs in our entire nation.  We want to take fairgoers on a journey through another place and time, and we can’t wait to show you what’s in store this summer.”

History of the Fair Exhibit:

            The History of the Fair Exhibit, which debuted in the Grange Building at the 2013 extravaganza with much fanfare, will return in 2014 with a number of new features.  Even more historical artifacts will be on display, including historic photos of “tea time at noon at the Colonnade.”  An exhibit commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Art and Home Center will also be featured this year.

            A three tiered, interactive sand castle will give fairgoers a small sample of what it takes to complete the annual sand sculpture, which in itself uses 180 tons of sand, and takes two workers six days to complete. 

A gift shop will sell a DVD that tells the story of the 1969 Fair, as well as vintage posters and pins, logos old and new, and a collectible holiday ornament that will change annually.  This year’s ornament will be the Horticulture building and will provide a brief history of the building itself.

Witter Agricultural Museum:

According to the New York State Agricultural Society, the purpose of the entity known as the Daniel Parrish Witter Agricultural Museum is to enhance, advise, promote, develop and assist in the operation of the museum to share the heritage of New York’s Agricultural development with museum visitors.

The Society established the State Fair and conducted it for 57 years; the organization was also instrumental in developing the Daniel Parrish Witter Agricultural Museum, built on the fairgrounds in 1928. “The Witter Museum is a great resource,” comments Penny Heritage, spokesperson for the NYS Ag Society, “sharing the heritage of New York’s agricultural development with visitors.”

            The museum, situated next to Restaurant Row, features a log cabin that was unassembled, brought within the museum’s boundaries, and rebuilt exactly as it was.  It’s also a living history museum dedicated to telling the history of New York agriculture.  It features tradespeople like basket weavers and broom makers - local artisans making actual products for fairgoers to enjoy.  There is also an interactive display on modern agriculture, featuring farm facts and statistics. 

Carriage Museum:

The Carriage Museum, located next to the Witter Museum, offers fairgoers a unique perspective on carriages used for everyday agricultural purposes, including old milking trucks, buggies, sleighs, carriages of all shapes and sizes, and chuck wagons.  The Museum has a number of interactive, living history shows for fairgoers, showing how a chuck wagon works and an actual working blacksmith shop that makes specialty items such as horseshoes.  A blacksmith is on-site every day in the Carriage Museum to walk fairgoers through the process of the blacksmith trade.  

Antique tractors on also be on display for the full Fair at Gate #10.

The New York State Fair, operated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, runs from August 21 – September 1, 2014.  The Fair’s mission, reflected in its 2014 theme, “Summer’s Best in Show,” is to showcase the best of New York agriculture while providing top-quality entertainment.  This year’s tagline – “New Attractions, Old Favorites, Timeless Fun” – highlights the more than two dozen new events and attractions and the expansion or enhancement of several Fairgoer favorites.

In addition to the annual New York State Fair, the Fairgrounds host dozens of agricultural events throughout the year, including some of the Northeast’s most prestigious horse and livestock shows.

The home of the Great New York State Fair is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. A year-round schedule of events is available on the Fair’s website.  Find The Great New York State Fair on Facebook, follow @NYSFair on Twitter, and enjoy photos from the Fair at Flickr.com/photos/nysfair. Also, New Yorkers are invited to send their ideas for the Great New York State Fair at statefairideas@agriculture.ny.gov.

No Pigs, Piglets at the 2014 State Fair

Sow and piglets from the 2013 State Fair

From the state Department of Agriculture and Markets:

Due to a relatively new virus known as Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED), which has an extremely high mortality rate for piglets, the state Department of Agriculture and Markets has decided to suspend the Sows and Piglets exhibit and competition and at the 2014 Great New York State Fair, said Acting State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball and State Veterinarian Dr. David Smith.

"The health and safety of all livestock at the 2014 Fair is of paramount importance," said Ball. "We understand that some fairgoers may be disappointed, but we want the Fair to continue to show off the best in New York agriculture and we need to do so in the best possible way to protect the well-being of the animals in our care."

"Fairs in general are a challenging environment in terms of animal disease control, and a lack of vaccine that's been proven effective against PED makes the risk for piglets too high this year," said Dr. Smith.  "Animals come to the Fair from all over the state and with a disease like PED circulating, it's in the best interests of the animals that we take this action."

PED is relatively new to the US.  It first appeared in the Midwest in May 2013 and has since spread to about half the US.  Cases have now been identified in NY and 24 other states.  The disease has taken a heavy toll on the nation's hog farmers, having caused the death of an estimated 5 million piglets in just under one year.  

When sows and litters become infected, PED kills nearly 100 percent of piglets less than 10 days old, while pigs older than 10 days tend to recover.

As Dr. Smith noted, there is no vaccine yet to protect pigs against PED.   PED is caused by a Corona virus and is highly infectious to swine. The virus is shed in large quantities and the infectious dose is very small so cleanliness is critical. The American Association of Swine Veterinarians, in conjunction with the National Pork Board, has made a wealth of information available at: 

www.aasv.org/aasv%20website/Resources/Diseases/PorcineEpidemicDiarrhea.php

Get Ready Now for New York State Fair Competitions

News from the New York State Fair:

  Did you know that the Great New York State Fair runs an annual competition for antique automobiles and tractors, and another for pigeons, and a third for carving watermelons?  

They are among the scores of competitions that will take place during the 2014 Fair.  Registration is now underway for most competitions.

Most competitions are true to the Fair’s agricultural roots and mandate, such as the competitions for horses and livestock, flower arranging, and dairy products.  However, others encompass the arts.  

The annual fine arts competition, which occupies the entire second floor of the Art & Home Center, is one example, and the daily talent competition on the Talent Showcase stage is another.  In 2013, more than 6,000 people submitted about 28,000 entries in 275 categories.

Among the new competitions this year is one called “Bucket of Junk.” Teams of competitors must make an identifiable object using only the odds and ends in their buckets.  The items in each bucket are identical.  Also new this year is a watermelon carving event, in which people try to make the best design they can from the watermelon and various pieces of fruit that they bring from home.  Each competition happens on just one day, and each is limited to 10 participants.

Any New York state resident can enter a New York State Fair competition and you do not have to win a local competition in order to compete.  Some competition winners earn a share of more than $200,000 in cash prizes.  Others receive medals or ribbons.  Daily winners of the culinary competition have their creations sampled on live television.  

Some deadlines for entries are approaching.  Competition rules, deadlines, and entry forms can be found on the New York State Fair website, located at www.nysfair.org/competitions.  Most entry forms can be filled out and submitted online.  However, competitors who prefer printed information can have it sent through the mail by calling the State Fair at 487-7711, extension 1337. 

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.

Vacation at the New York State Fair

Looking for something to do close by this summer?

A family vacation website has listed a bunch of state fairs that make great vacations during the summer. And our own New York State Fair is on the list.

Go to http://www.familyvacationcritic.com/10-state-fairs-to-see-in-2014/art/ to see the story.