A unique workforce development program from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County (CCE Cayuga) has received statewide recognition.
Since 2022, CCE Cayuga has run the Milk Bar at the New York State Fair in neighboring Onondaga County. CCE Cayuga said that, after taking over, it transformed the milk bar into a youth workforce training program, providing Central York teens with marketable job experience and an introduction to the state’s dairy industry.
CCE Cayuga has announced that the program has now been recognized by Epsilon Sigma Phi, Lambda Chapter, with the 2025 Distinguished Team Award, recognizing it for “[exemplifying] the spirit of Cooperative Extension—addressing critical issues through collaboration, innovation, and education.“ Epsilon Sigma Phi is a network of development professionals serving cooperative extensions nationwide; the Lambda chapter, based at Cornell University, serves as the regional chapter.
Additionally, Dan Welch, Victoria Giarratano, and Heather Ward of CCE Cayuga, and Jacob Maslyn of CCE Ontario were acknowledged “for their ongoing work to develop and implement a sustainable model that reestablished the Milk Bar as a cornerstone of agricultural education and community engagement and reimagined it as a comprehensive youth workforce development project.”
CCE Cayuga said that 43 teens served more than 285,000 cups of milk to fairgoers in 2025. These teens, ranging from 14 to 19, were primarily recruited from Cayuga and Ontario Counties, and received training from supervisors Heather Ward and Jacob Maslyn of CCE Cayuga and CCE Ontario, respectively. Of the 43 teens, 25 returned from last year, taking on more senior leadership roles, such as cashier, food handling, stocking, and training.
Besides serving milk, learning customer service skills, and general workplace expectations, teens were exposed to different career pathways in the dairy industry through trips to dairy farms, sheep farms, and Cornell Agritech in Geneva.
CCE Cayuga will continue to staff and manage the Milk Bar at the 2026 New York State Fair.
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