Friday 27 July 2012

New agriculture exhibits planned for New York State Fair



By Debra J. Groom, The Post-Standard
A number of new agricultural exhibits will greet fairgoers at the New York State Fair.
Mary Ellen Chesbro, agriculture manager for the fair, said one of the biggest undertakings this year will be on Labor Day, when fair attendees will be able to learn more about all types of animals and agricultural products at an event call the Agriculture Extravaganza.
The event will take place in the Coliseum, consisting of exhibitors showing off animals, horticulture and floraculture products so fairgoers can see them up close and ask questions.
“People can see animals when they go through the barns, but there aren’t always people available to answer questions,” Chesbro, of Pennellville, said.
“In the barns, the owners are getting ready for shows and many fairgoers don’t want to bother them or they can’t find the owners to ask a question. But here, there will be several people anxiously awaiting someone to ask them a question so they can talk about their passion — which is raising quality agricultural products,” she said.
Chesbro said there also are ways to win prizes at the extravaganza. Attendees will be able to pick up a flyer as they enter the Coliseum with questions to be answered. As they visit the different booths and pens at the event, they will answer the questions and then turn in their flyers in a receptacle as they leave.
Local businesses have donated gift certificates as prizes, Chesbro said.
“We will be having pens of different animals along with the associations that promote and research them,” she said. “There will be all types of livestock from horses, goats, sheep, swine, poultry and there will also be horticultural exhibits. I personally would like to have a dairy cow next to a beef cow so people can really see the difference as well as a meat goat next to a dairy goat.”
Another new ag highlight for the fair is available every day right inside the doors to the Horticulture Building.
Chesbro said the butterfly exhibit will allow fairgoers to obtain a Q-tip and put some nectar on it and then dab the nectar on their nose. “Butterflies then will come on land on your nose,” Chesbro said.
On the far wall of the Horticulture Building will be a new exhibit on aquaponics, which is a combination of fish farming and hydroponic farming.
Chesbro said this exhibit will be run by Aqua Vita Farms in Sherrill and will show how vegetables and greens can be grown using water from fish farming operation. He water contains more nutrients and helps the vegetables while they grow. The water used on the vegetables then is collected and used for growing the fish because the vegetables help purify the water.
Contact Debra J. Groom at dgroom@syracuse.com, 470-3254 or 251-5586. Follow her at www.twitter.com/@DebraGroom
Original Article here

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