RUSH, N.Y. — One of the hottest activities popular with the Monroe County public this summer has become On-Farm visits. These fun, educational events offer the public a unique opportunity to meet the farmers and get a closer look at the life on a farm.
The interest in local food and sustainability has led many of today’s consumers to pay increased attention to agriculture, shopping locally, or buying directly from farmers. This has additionally led to an increase in frequenting farm-to-table restaurants. Many non-farmers who grew up on farms hope to reconnect with their past. Whatever the reason, the increasing public desire to connect with local farms offers farmers with an opportunity to provide an on-farm interactive experience for public.
Building on this momentum, the Cornell University Extension of Monroe County and Stonecrop Farm, a USDA Organic Certified egg and meat farm, have partnered to host a farm tour for the Rochester City Summer Program kids – some of whom have never been past the City border.
This 2-hour tour will be a great opportunity to talk to the farmers, learn about pasture-raised animals, egg and crop production, and to understand the process of how eggs and meat make it to market. To best expose the kids to the farm, they will walk the grounds, meet all of the animals and see how chickens, ducks, turkeys and pigs live on a family farm. They will also explore the tropical ginger and turmeric growing in a hoop house.
There will be a group discussion and a team challenge for the kids to test their newly gained knowledge, and possibly a volunteer project teaching them the work that is necessary to operate a busy farm.
Who knows? The fresh air and hands-on experience might even inspire some of them to consider a career in Agriculture!
For more information call Jarmila Haseler at (585) 753-2565 or email at jh954@cornell.edu
Date and Time: Wednesday, July 26, 2017 at 10:00-12:00 pm
Location: Stonecrop Farm, 1396 Rush Henrietta Townline Rd, Rush, NY 14543
—Cornell Cooperative Extension Monroe County
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