SYRACUSE, N.Y. — New York Farm Show, set for February 22, 23 and 24 at the State Fairground in Syracuse has it all – the latest in new crop and livestock tech and everything from tractors to tools in 400-plus indoor exhibits of new and best products. And, this year’s free ag-smart seminars tackle beef, industrial hemp and woodlot management issues.
Show hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., daily. Parking is free, with shuttle buses run all day to all six farm show buildings.
Free tickets are available from Northeast equipment dealers, or by writing to: New York Farm Show, P.O. Box 3470, Syracuse, NY 13220. Requests, including self-addressed stamped envelopes, must be received by February 15. Adult admission at the door is $5 per person; youths under 18 are free.
Check out these main ag-smart events
Future of Hemp Seminar
Industrial hemp production is an emerging economic engine now being primed in the Northeast. That’s why Cornell University and the NYS Ag Experiment Station will host a special morning “Future of hemp” workshop, Friday, Feb. 23 in the Arts and Home Center’s Bistro Room.
Hemp production and processing/manufacturing will be covered in the morning seminar kicking off at 10 a.m., according to Larry Smart, workshop coordinator and Horticulture program leader for Cornell. Here’s the program agenda:
* 10 a.m.: Breeding industrial hemp cultivars, by Cornell’s Larry Smart
* 10:25 a.m.: Industrial hemp fertilizer trials, by Jen Gilbert-Jenkins of Morrisville State College
* 10:50 a.m.: Building an industrial hemp industry: Ontario’s experience, by Reuben Stone of Valley Bio
* 11:15 a.m.: Hempcrete and other practical uses, by Joy Beckerman of Hemp Ace International.
* 11:40 a.m.: Q and A panel discussion
‘Learn more, earn more’ woodlot workshops
The New York Forest Owners Association will host 14 “Learn more, earn more” workshop sessions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, to help landowners grow more benefits from their woodlots. All sessions are held in the Arts and Home Center’s lower-level Somerset Room. They’re presented with the help of N.Y. Department of Environmental Conservation, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
THURSDAY, FEB. 22
11 a.m. How DEC service foresters can help, presented by DEC’s Matt Swayze
1 p.m. Insects and diseases that threaten your woods, by SUNY’s Kim Adams
2 p.m. Making maple syrup for fun and profit, by Cornell Maple Program’s Stephen Childs
3 p.m. Getting federal aid for woodlot improvements, by Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Michael Fournier
FRIDAY, FEB. 23
10 a.m. Generating income from your forest, by Rich Taber, Cooperative Extension Service, Chenango County
11 a.m. Silviculture: What it means to manage your woods, by Cornell Extension Forester Peter Smallidge
1 p.m. 8 steps for a healthy, productive sugarbush, by Peter Smallidge
2 p.m. Managing your land for recreation, by SUNY’s Diane Kuehn
3 p.m. Silvopasturing: Trees and livestock can live together, by Brett Chedzoy, Cooperative Extension Service Schuyler County
SATURDAY, FEB. 24
10 a.m. Managing deer and timber, by Brian Underwood, for SUNY’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
11 a.m. How professional foresters can help you have a more successful timber sale, by Brad Wentworth, Forecon Inc., Cortland, N.Y.
1 p.m. The law: Rights and responsibilities of woodlot owners, presented by Timothy Frateschi, Frateschi Law of Syracuse
2 p.m. Getting federal aid for woodlot improvements, by NRCS’s Michael Fournier
3 p.m. Tips for working safely in the woods, by Michael Burns, N.Y. Center for Ag Medicine & Health
‘Everything Beef’ to beef up your biz
Check out the “Everything Beef” area in the Dairy Building. You’ll find a live beef cattle breed display, daily technology talks and the popular hot beef sundaes brought to you by the New York Beef Producers and Junior Beef Producers. Thursday and Friday topic presentations include:
* 10:30 a.m. — To cull or to keep: Why legs, feet, udders and frame scores are important to a cow’s future, by Phil Trowbridge, Trowbridge Angus
* 11 a.m. – Beef AGvocacy by the numbers: How to be a beef advocate and why it’s so important, by Jean O-Toole, N.Y. Beef Council
* 11:30 a.m. – New tech calving alerts: Moocall IOT technology monitors when a cow is going to calve. Saves calves, money and time, by Paul McElhone, IOT Technology
* Noon – Preconditioning: Why it’s so important to beef calf development
* 12:30 p.m. – Beef preferences: Keeping this protein on your plate is important, by Jean O’Toole
* 1 p.m. – The beef connection: Why cow/calf operators, feedlots and slaughter facilities need to work together, by Mackansie Waro, Cornell Services
Saturday’s presentations on beef topics will be handled by New York Junior Beef members.
Live beef breed displays will be there all three days, along with the opportunity to connect with beef producers and ask questions. Breed information brochures will also be available, along with beef recipes. And, don’t forget about those hot beef sundaes – bowls of delicious roast beef and gravy on mashed potatoes and topped with a cherry – available daily from 10:45 a.m. until sold out.
Other key attractions
Share your opinion; earn $350: American Agriculturist’s exhibit just inside the Horticultural Building’s front door is a popular opinion-sharing spot via the annual farmers’ opinion poll. And your thoughts will count, especially on four topics:
* How do you rate President Trump’s job performance?
* Has the opioid crisis come home to your farm or neighborhood?
* Are you concerned about climate change?
* Got a positive bit of wisdom to share that has helped you?
Results will be posted daily at the display. Taking the poll qualifies you to win a $350 Tractor Supply gift card and other prizes.
Hitch pins back by popular demand: 4-H youths working at New York Farm have a great hitch pin deal you. Once again, they’re offering Tisco 6-by-¾-inch hitch pins at $5 each or five for $20, as a county 4-H fund-raiser.
So look for those smiling 4-H faces and the hitch pins at the main entrance doors of the Center of Progress, Dairy and Horticulture buildings – until all the pins are sold!
Get your farm toys: One of the Northeast’s largest farm toy show will be back the Arts and Home Center’s toy show room.
Vendors specializing in hard-to-find repair parts also will be there. Toy prices range from inexpensive children’s toys to special collector values.
Toy auction and tractor raffle benefits FFA: The 24th New York FFA Alumni Foundation Toy Auction kicks off at 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 23, in the fairground’s Arts and Home Center’s Empire Room. The room opens at 4 p.m. for viewing of the hundreds of collector items and antiques. All proceeds go to the Robert Watson Memorial FFA Scholarship Fund, supporting scholarships for FFA alumni.
And a fully restored Massey Ferguson Pony will be raffled off on Saturday. Tickets will be available before the Friday night auction. Tickets are $10 for one ticket, $20 for three, $40 for 7, $100 for 20.
Catch Farm Show updates on the web: For an up-to-date listing of exhibitors, workshop sessions, plus free ticket info and more, visit www.newyorkfarmshow.com.
–New York Farm Show
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