McCadam, Great Lakes Honored at State Fair Dairy Competition

From the New York State Fair:

When it comes to cheese, McCadam Cheese Co.'s aged cheddar stands alone. 

It not only won its category in the Great New York State Fair's annual Dairy Products Competition, it also earned the Grand Champion award.

McCadam, which was founded in Heuvelton, St. Lawrence County and now is manufactured in Chateaugay, Franklin County, took first and second place in the aged cheddar category, and it also earned first place honors in two other cheddar categories: current cheddar and super-aged cheddar. Great Lakes Cheese Co. of Adams was the runner-up in the current and super-aged categories.

"The high marks across the board for these products reflect not only the great diversity of dairy products available in New York state, but also the incredibly high quality of these products. These are all products that belong in every New Yorker's kitchen," said Acting State Fair Director Troy Waffner.

Among the highlights of the competitions:

• ​ Garelick Farms of Rensselaer earned a perfect score of 100 in the fluid milk category. Stewarts Processing and Upstate Niagara Cooperative tied for second with 96.3 points.
• Upstate Niagara Cooperative's sour cream earned the only other perfect score of the competition, with the product from HP Hood's Arkport plant finishing a single point behind.
• HP Hood swept the gold and silver medals in all three cottage cheese competitions, for full fat, low fat and nonfat cottage cheeses along with two of the three third place "award of excellence" designations.

Dairy products experts gathered recently at Stocking Hall on the Cornell University campus to judge entries in 21 categories, from goat cheese to sour cream to milk.  

Winners of the New York State Fair Dairy Products Competition were announced on Dairy Day at the Great New York State Fair.

Reporter Visits Worst Place in the U.S.

Cool story.

Check it out at http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/09/03/i-called-this-place-americas-worst-place-to-live-then-i-went-there/?postshare=5201441515089366

Take a Selfie at the Butter Sculpture; Help Needy Families Get Milk

There are two days left to the Great New York State Fair.

Remember, if you take a selfie in front of the butter sculpture while holding your ice cold milk from the Rainbow Milk Bar, you will help make a donation to area food banks so needy families can get milk to serve at home.

Go to http://www.adadc.com/sports-nutrition.html for more information.

Plans for New York State Fairgrounds Renovations Unveiled

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday announced plans for the renovations to the New York State Fairgrounds.

Go to http://www.localsyr.com/new-york-state-fair/story/d/story/gov-unveils-plan-for-50m-for-state-fairgrounds-sup/12150/m8Bmjw0JGEOKY85lN0p8fQ to check it out.

Also go to https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-sweeping-50-million-redesign-new-york-state-fairgrounds for more information on the plan.

It's Dairy Day at the New York State Fair

Thank a cow and a dairy farmer today.

Here are today's dairy events at the fair:

       o   9 a.m.:  Dairy Day awards breakfast in the Empire Room.

o   10:30 a.m.: Celebrity Milkshake Contest, Chevy Court Pavilion.  Members of the press show off their skill at making a unique milkshake flavor while trying to beat the clock. 

o   11 a.m.: The Big Cheese auction.  Cheese in blocks small, large, and gigantic are auctioned off at the Chevy Court Pavilion.  Free samples available while you bid!

o   6 p.m.:  Dairy Day goes to the State Fair Daily Parade.  Dairy princesses, milk trucks, and lots of streetside giveaways highlight this edition of the parade around Chevy Court.

                o   All day:  Cheese sculptor Sarah Kaufmann will carve cheddar into unique sculptures in the Dairy Products Building.

Cream Cheese Festival is Sept. 19 in Lowville

It's coming. Mark your calendar!

Yum. Cream cheese.

Get Ready for Apple Picking in New York

Gala apples at Abbott Farm in Lysander

Have you ever thought about that custom of bringing an apple to the teacher?

Well I wonder if that started because apples are ready for picking just about the time kids go back to school?

Early varieties of apples are ready now, depending on which  orchard you visit. Orchard owners say there is a great crop this year, with apples big, juicy and tasty.

The U.S. Apple Association forecasts that New York's crop will be great, but not quite as plentiful as last year. The association predicts a crop of 26.2 million bushels in New York for 2015, down from 30.8 million bushels in 2014.

Paula Reds are the first off the tree and a few orchards (Deer Run in LaFayette, Beak and Skiff in LaFayette) are open for customers who desire this tart, juicy and crisp apple.

Some others, such as Navarino Orchard on Route 20 west of LaFayette in Navarino, are open now with Zestars (crisp and juicy) and Paula Reds. Warren Abbott at Abbott Farm on Route 370 in Lysander said he opened Aug. 22 for Zestars and Sansas (sweet apple and a cross of Gala and Akane). Adams Acres in Pompey will be open about Labor Day and O’Neill Orchard in LaFayette plans to open Aug. 29.

Call the Onondaga County orchard of your choice for an exact date on when they will be open for the season.

Here is a list of most of the orchards in Onondaga County:

Beak and Skiff, Route 20, LaFayette, 696-6085

Adams Acres, Sevier Road, town of Pompey, 498-6654

Navarino Orchard, Route 20, Navarino, 673-9181

McLusky Orchard, LaFayette, 677-5176

Abbott Farm, Route 370, Lysander, 638-7783

O’Neill Orchard, Route 20, LaFayette, 677-9407

Deer Run Farm, Route 11A, LaFayette, 677-8087

Clearview Orchard, Tully, 696-6438

Apples also are available in other parts of the state. Go to http://www.nyapplecountry.com/find/pick-your-own to find a place where you can pick your own apples in New York state. Also, check out http://www.nyapplecountry.com/varieties to see all the different apple varieties that are grown in New York, what they taste like and their best uses (applesauce, pies, fresh eating, etc.)