Voice of the Farmer Exhibit at NYS Fair

New York State Agriculture & Markets (https://agriculture.ny.gov/) subcontracted Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County to construct, plant, and exhibit, the "Voice of the Farmer" at the NYS Fair (August 23-September 4, 2023). Visit the 39+ raised beds and surroundings planted with a variety of vegetable crops, herbs, grapevines, fruit trees, and pollinator plants. Master Gardeners will be in the CCE tent to answer your gardening questions. Children will enjoy the shelled corn wading pool containing tokens to learn about a crop and to win a pollinator prize!

Louis and Donna Gridley (Grape growers in Yates County) and Christina Hudson (Egg producer in Onondaga County) were literal voices of farmers at the exhibit this year!

This project is part of a nation-wide effort and NYS was the first to host the Voice of the Farmer Garden. Read about the opening ceremony! This is the first phase of an annual exhibit that will be near the new permanent greenhouse at the NYS Fairgrounds. There is potential for year-round agricultural programming at this facility.

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Farm Ambassadors Mike & Edie McMahon, ew York State Assembly member Donna Lupardo, Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball, Executive Director of CCE Onondaga David Skeval, and Farm Journal Foundation's Vice President for Strategic Partnerships Tom Greenwood at the opening ceremony for the Voice of the Farmer Garden NYS Fair 2023.

We thank all of the CCE Master Gardener Volunteers (MGVs) who planted and are maintaining this exhibit! Master Gardener Carol Bradford selected plant varieties & mapped the planting plan. CCE MGV Coordinator Kathleen Burns Copeletti and CCE Natural Resource Educator Harold Nugent organized and managed this project. CCE Environmental Team Leader Thomas Cross & CCE Executive Director David Skeval built additional foundations for plantings. We are grateful to the MGVs and CCE staff for their work on this exhibit.

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