SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Dairy Cow Birthing Center, hosted by the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition (NYAAC), has returned to celebrate its 7th year as a free educational exhibit and one of the top attractions at the New York State Fair. Not only will fairgoers have the opportunity to witness the miracle of life and converse with real dairy farmers, but new and exciting partnerships will allow visitors to learn even more about dairy farming in New York.
“It’s exciting to be back at the New York State Fair for our seventh year and to be able to continue to bring this engaging educational exhibit to life for fairgoers,” said Eileen Jensen, NYAAC Director of Promotion and Outreach. “This exhibit comes together at the hands of many people and it’s a true testament to the dairy industry coming together and working collaboratively across the state to showcase their livelihood. Farmers and fairgoers have the opportunity to discuss the dairy industry, dairy products and ultimately witness the miracle of life. This exhibit is a true labor of love and we are very excited to be working with some amazing New York dairy farms again this year.”
As in previous years, the Dairy Cow Birthing Center will feature three births daily over the duration of the New York State Fair with hundreds of volunteers available to answer questions about the dairy industry. The exhibit will be aired live via a webcam, and fairgoers can again sign up for a free text alert (text MOO to 24587). Large TV screens will be present at the exhibit featuring videos of New York farmers as well. Notable changes and additions to the exhibit this year include:
- Corn & Soybean Partnership: As our largest sponsor and supporter, you’ll have the opportunity to visit with members from the New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association in our corner deemed “Crops to Cows.” It is here where you will learn what it takes to get the crops from the field to the cows.
- Smile and Say Cheese!: We aren’t selling cheese this year but you’ll have the opportunity to take some photos in some new photo booths being offered, thanks to Milk for Health located in Western NY.
- Social Media: We continue to expand our social media channels and we will continue to offer a live feed of our exhibit as well as other produced videos featuring New York dairy farmers on our YouTube channel named NY Animal Agriculture Coalition. Fairgoers can also follow the Dairy Cow Birthing Center by following our other social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@NYAnimalAg), or by following the hashtag #uddermiracles. New this year is snapchat so be sure to swing by and see our new filter created just for our #uddermiracles.
The exhibit couldn’t take place without the cows. This year, the 36 expecting mothers will hail from the following family-owned dairy farms in Ontario County:
- Aug. 21-23, 2019 – Ivy Lakes Dairy, Stanley, NY
- Aug. 24-25, 2019 – H. Woods Farm, Clayton, NY
- Aug. 26-27, 2019 – North Harbor Dairy, Sackets Harbor, NY
- Aug. 28-29, 2019 – Sheland Farms, Adams, NY
- Aug. 30-31, 2019 – Murcrest Farms, Copenhagen, NY
- Sept. 1-2, 2019 – Milk Street Dairy, Watertown, NY
In previous years, the Dairy Cow Birthing Center has proved to be one of the most popular exhibits on the fairgrounds, attracting over 300,000 fairgoers each year. Past surveys have found that the exhibit received the highest satisfaction (83%) of any exhibit on the New York State Fairgrounds. When asking fairgoers how valuable their time at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center is, visitors rated the exhibit a 4.8 out of 5 as a must-see attraction.
NYAAC organizes the exhibit in collaboration with the New York State Fair, and with major funding and support from the New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association. The exhibit is a grassroots effort, funded by numerous agribusinesses and organizations in the dairy industry. Other major contributors to the exhibit are: Cornell Dairy Center of Excellence, Cargill, Corteva Agriscience-Pioneer Seeds, Farm Credit East’s Northeast AgEnhancement, and Northeast Agricultural Education Foundation.
NYAAC is a farmer founded and funded 501-c-3 organization that strives to enhance the public’s understanding of and appreciation for animal agriculture by engaging the public in conversations about animal agriculture and empowering farmers to tell their story firsthand. The birth of a calf signifies the beginning of not only a new life, but the beginning of milk production for a cow and New York is proud to be the third leading producer of milk in the nation with over 4,000 family farms and over 600,000 cows.
For more information about NYAAC and more details about the Dairy Cow Birthing Center, please visit www.nyanimalag.org.
–New York Animal Agriculture Coalition
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