Bridging the Gap Between Farmers and Consumers

Ziehm

Jessica Ziehm of the NY Animal Agriculture Coalition and the creator of the Dairy Cow Birthing Center at the New York State Fair is highlighted in this story about her family's dairy operation.

Check out this story at http://www.agweb.com/article/real-faces-of-dairy-bridging-the-gap-between-farmers-and-consumers-naa-betsy-jibben/ this link.

Eileen Jensen new Director of Promotion and Outreach for New York Animal Agriculture Coalition

From the NEW YORK ANIMAL AGRICULTURE COALITION
 

Eileen Jensen and friend

Eileen Jensen has been hired as the director of promotion and outreach for the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition.
 
Jensen brings a lifetime of experience and passion for agriculture to this position, which will aid the farmer-founded, nonprofit organization advocate for animal agriculture and the state’s 5,000 dairy farms.
 
“We are very pleased to welcome Eileen to NYAAC,” said Dale Mattoon, chairman of NYAAC and dairy farmer from Cayuga County. “As society becomes further removed from the farm and the amount of misinformation continues to plague the minds of consumers, the need for advocacy work in the dairy industry has never been greater. We are thrilled to obtain Eileen’s diverse skill set and enthusiasm to the team.”
 
Jensen was one of 80 applicants to apply for the full-time, first-of-its-kind position with NYAAC. Her tenure and experience in marketing and agricultural education, coupled with her confidence and public speaking skills made her the top candidate.
 
“I am very excited to be relocating back to New York to join the NYACC team,” Jensen said. “NYACC is doing great things for New York agriculture and I’m looking forward to collaborating and continuing the positive momentum into the future.”
 
Starting May 16, 2016, Jensen will put her skills to good use contributing to the organization’s blogsite, along with creating content for its social media pages. She will be involved extensively with the organization’s flagship event, the Dairy Cow Birthing Center at the New York State Fair, where three calves are born daily and nearly a quarter of a million people come to witness the miracle of life.
 
There, she will serve as a spokesperson for the exhibit, as well as an event and volunteer coordinator. Jensen will also be busy working with the state’s 5,000 dairy farmers, helping them be better advocates for their livelihood through presentations and trainings, creative materials, events and more. She will also aid in fundraising for the newly designated 501(c)3 organization.
 
Jensen grew up on a dairy farm in the Finger Lakes, studied agricultural business at SUNY Cobleskill and received her masters in education at Cornell. She has worked both in the classroom, educating students, as well as for large corporations during her time as an account executive for two major agricultural advertising agencies in the midwest.
 
The New York Animal Agriculture Coalition is a farmer founded and funded nonprofit profit organization with the mission of working to enhance the public’s understanding of and appreciation for animal agriculture by fostering a dialogue with consumers, engagement with farmers and cooperation among members of the state’s dairy industry. 

Its board is made of up representatives from American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Cayuga Marketing, Farm Credit East, the New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association, New York Farm Bureau and the Northeast Dairy Producers Association.  Pro-Dairy serves as an adviser to the board, which meets every other month.
 
For more information about NYAAC and its programs, visit www.nyanimalag.org or follow @NYAnimalAg on social media.

New Yorkers Honored by Farm Credit

Farm Credit is honoring 100 ag people as part of its 100th anniversary this year.

The Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives Honorees include leaders and visionaries from across the country. Selected by a distinguished panel of industry representatives, the honorees are creating the future of agriculture and rural America through their dedication and innovation.

There are a number of honorees from New York state. They are:

Chris Fesko, town of Spafford in Onondaga County. Go to http://www.farmcredit100.com/fresh-perspectives/honorees/chris-fesko?category=top-100-honorees to see the writeup about her. She also was in the top 10 of this list.

Jessica Ziehm, Buskirk, Washington County. Go to http://www.farmcredit100.com/fresh-perspectives/honorees/jessica-ziehm?category=top-100-honorees to read about her and her work.

Nancy Robbins, Sackets Harbor, Jefferson County. Go to http://www.farmcredit100.com/fresh-perspectives/honorees/nancy-robbins?category=top-100-honorees to learn about her.

Dale-Ila Riggs, Stephentown, Rensselaer County. Go to http://www.farmcredit100.com/fresh-perspectives/honorees/dale-ila-riggs?category=top-100-honorees  to read about her accomplishments.

Jim Hyland, New Paltz, Ulster County. Go to http://www.farmcredit100.com/fresh-perspectives/honorees/jim-hyland?category=top-100-honorees  to find out about his work.

Levi Cahan, Whitehall, Washington County. Go to http://www.farmcredit100.com/fresh-perspectives/honorees/levi-cahan?category=top-100-honorees to learn about his work.



 

Farmer Communication Key to Enducating Nonfarm Public

Great story from Lancaster Farming.

Go to http://www.lancasterfarming.com/Farmer-Communication-Key-to-Educating-Nonfarm-Public#.Vk8_cL-GfTQ to check it out.

Farmers Need to Talk to the Public About What They Do on Their Farms

Good read.

Go to http://countryfolks.com/opening-the-barn-door-to-the-public/ to check it out.

Cow Birthing Center An Educational Experience

Nice story about the Dairy Cow Birthing Center at the New York State Fair.

Check it out at http://www.twcnews.com/nys/central-ny/new-york-state-fair/2015/09/5/cow-birthing-center-an-education-experience.html

Dairy Cow Birthing Center Again Will Have Live Video of Births

A newborn calf. Photo courtesy Dairy Cow Birthing Center

Be sure to go to http://www.vet.cornell.edu/news/nysfair/ to check out live feeds from the Dairy Cow Birthing Center.

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.

Study: Whole Milk Isn't Bad for You

Here's a great blog entry written by Jessica Ziehm of the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition.

Check it out -- http://www.nyanimalag.org/im-a-whole-milk-girl/

Does anyone else remember having to shake their milk to mix the milk and cream before drinking? I do.

New York Animal Agriculture Coalition Head Named an Ag Leader

Congrats to my friend and colleague Jessica Chittenden Ziehm for this great award -- the only New Yorker on this list.

Go to http://www.dairyherd.com/e-newsletters/dairy-daily/Vance-Agribusiness-names-2014-40-Under-40-honorees-275348401.html to read all about it.

A Review of Farmland, the Movie

Funny, I was going to ask farm buddy Jessica Chittenden Ziehm to write something for me when I saw on Facebook that she was going to see "Farmland."

Well, she must have been reading my mind. She wrote a review for her own website for the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition.

Go to http://www.nyanimalag.org/farmland-review-were-normal/?utm_content=buffer3e8ad&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer  to read her review of the movie.

Happy Ag Day!!

Here also is a great video to watch. Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWARSDKUAiM&feature=share to check out the video.

Happy Ag Day, everyone.

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!!!"  

Dairy Cow Birthing Center, Onondaga Lake Exhibit Honored

From New York State Agriculture and Markets:

The Great New York State Fair earned seven awards in the annual competition operated by the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE), said Acting Commissioner of Agriculture James B. Bays.

 IAFE is the trade group representing more than 1,000 fairs, events, and expositions from around the world. The awards were announced at the event's annual convention in Las Vegas.

"The outstanding efforts of staff, in collaboration with many partners, produced first-class information and entertainment that was rightfully recognized during this national competition," said Acting State Agriculture Commissioner James B. Bays. 

"We are proud of the work that everyone did on these projects and grateful for the recognition. I thank our many partners for their hard work and dedication to providing high-quality exhibits at this year's fair," Bays said.

The fair earned a first place prize for Best Solution-Based Communication Effort for its new exhibit "Onondaga Lake: A Fresh Gateway to the New New York."  

The exhibit, which occupied an entire wing of the Center of Progress Building at this year's fair, showed fairgoers how the work to remediate the lake is creating economic opportunity throughout the region and is helping restore fish and bird species to the lake habitat. 

A committee of more than a dozen non-profit, educational, government, and business organizations worked with the fair to create the exhibit.

"This exhibit was the first of its kind at the fair," said Cornelius B. Murphy, Jr., president of State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) and co-chair of the exhibit committee. 

"The New York State Fair partnered with all of us to develop a 2,000-square-foot exhibit that showed New Yorkers how coordinated remediation efforts between state and local partners at Onondaga Lake are changing the region and providing for future economic vitality. It is an extraordinary story of a community coming together to improve not only Onondaga Lake, but the quality of life in Central New York," Murphy said.

Another of the fair's new exhibits also won a major national honor from IAFE. The New York Animal Agriculture Coalition's Dairy Cow Birthing Center earned second place in the agricultural competition for Fair and Sponsor/Partner Joint Exhibit Program.  

The center was packed with fairgoers, anxious to witness a dairy cow giving birth to a baby calf. The center featured 30 births throughout the Fair with farmers and veterinarians on hand to answer questions about the birthing process and dairy farms in general. A live webcam of the birthing center, offered through Cornell University, allowed people at home to share in the excitement.

Jessica Ziehm, executive director of the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition (NYAAC), said, "The production of milk starts with the birth of a baby calf, and so it made sense to us to showcase this phenomenon at the State Fair, as NYAAC works to educate the public about modern dairy farms.

"Fairgoers wowed us with their interest in this exhibit and our farmers were thrilled to share their passion and commitment to the care of dairy cows with the public. We are honored with this recognition and thank the New York State Fair for partnering with us to provide this unique opportunity to the public," Ziehm said.

The fair's advertising and marketing efforts, created by its marketing firm, Pinckney Hugo Group of Syracuse, won several awards, including three first place awards.

• The fair's television commercials for its advance sale and concert ticket sales efforts won first place in the television category;
• The fair's e-mail newsletter announcing a special ticket sale for the Toby Keith concert won in the electronic newsletter category;
• All of the fair's efforts to tie its marketing back to its mobile platform won for best mobile campaign;
• A full-page newspaper ad touting the availability of advance sale tickets won third place in the color newspaper ads category, and;
• A full-page magazine ad for advance sale tickets won third place in the magazine ad category.

Tractors Get a Holiday Workout North of Albany

A great event from out north of Albany.

Check http://poststar.com/news/local/tractors-pull-crowds-into-downtown-greenwich-for-lighted-holiday-parade/article_f78c8614-5330-11e3-9c5a-001a4bcf887a.html out this story from the Glens Falls paper. And thanks to farmer friend Jessica Chittenden Ziehm for tipping me off to this. And great creativity award for her family farm (Tiashoke Farm) tractor -- Rudolph the Red Nosed John Deere.

11 Boys, 8 Girls So Far at the New York State Fair Dairy Cow Birthing Centr

The count is at 11 bulls and eight heifers as of 12:05 today (Thursday) at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center at the New York State Fair.

Another bull was born today at 12:05 p.m.

Be sure to stop into the center over by the FFA and 4-H buildings.

Video Interview on Why the Dairy Cow Birthing Center is So Popular

Nice video explanation of why the Dairy Cow Birthing Center at the State Fair http://www.onenewspage.us/video/20130826/1387847/Dairy-Day-at-the-Fair-26-13.htm is so popular.

Check it out.

Dairy Cow Birthing Center a Big Hit!!

I have been thrilled to see how many people are stopping at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center at the New York State Fair.

Honestly, when my friend Jessica Ziehm first told me about this, I thought folks might be a tad too squeamish to watch a live birth. But boy was I wrong.

Stopped in to the center Friday night and there were at least more than 100 people there waiting for a cow to give birth. Hope they got to see it. I had to leave and missed yet another birth. I've been within 15 minutes of two births so far and not sure when the cow last night finally delivered, but I left the center at a little before 8, I think.

Anyway, congrats Jessica and everyone involved in this endeavor. What a great addition to the fair. And happy birthdays to all the little heifers and bulls.

By the way, in the event you missed it in my first post on the center, go to www.vet.cornell.edu/news/NYSFair and watch the live cam from the birthing pen.

See a Live Calf Birth at the New Dairy Birthing Center at the New York State Fair

Cow awaits giving birth in the birthing center birth pen.

The miracle of birth is there for all to see in the new Dairy Birthing Center at the New York State Fair.

The fair opens its 12-day run Thursday Aug. 22. The Dairy Birthing Center is located at the back of the fairgrounds behind the Talent Showcase and in between the 4-H and FFA buildings.

The birthing center has been a longtime dream of Jessica Ziehm, executive director of the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition. The coalition 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, according to its website.

Ziehm said other state fairs, such as Minnesota, Virginia and Iowa, have run birthing centers in the past and she thought it would be a great idea for the New York fair.

"This is one of the amazing miracles we see on the farm every day," said Ziehm, who was raised on a dairy farm and now lives with her husband Stuart on the family dairy farm in Washington County north of Albany.

Hoard is a famous dairyman born in Madison County, NY

There will be six cows at the birthing center at one time and they will stay for two-day stints. Ziehm said if all goes as planned, three will give birth each day of the fair.

The cows have been induced, which Ziehm said is safe and common in the dairy industry. "It works very effectively in cattle because we know exactly when the cows are due," she said. This is because the cows are artificially inseminated, so exactly nine months after the insemination, the cows are ready to calve.

Ziehm said all the cows being brought in for the birthing center exhibit have given birth before and all are having only one calf. Veterinarians in private practice and those from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine will be on hand for all the births.

There are bleachers set up on both sides of the birthing pen for the public to use while watching. 

Dale Mattoon, a Cayuga County dairy farmer and chairman of the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition, brought the first batch of cows in for the birthing center. 

"If you plan to be in the dairy business for the long haul, you need the public to understand why we do what we do," he said. "This is a great way to talk to the public about that."

The public is encouraged to ask questions of either the farmers or the vets while they are in the birthing center.

For youngsters, in the corner of the birthing center is a storytime site called "From Moo to You," which tells the story of today's dairy farmers.

Ziehm said the birthing center took six months to plan and "we're really excited to add it to the great New York State Fair."

"It all starts here folks," she said. "The production of milk wouldn't take place without the birth of baby calves."

Other farms donating cows for the birthing center are from Aurelius and Scipio Springs in Cayuga County, Odessa in Schuyler County, Lansing in Tompkins County and Skaneateles in Onondaga County. 

To watch cameras in the birthing center while you're not at the fair or at the birthing center, go to www.vet.cornell.edu/news/NYSFair.