The New York Department of Agriculture and Markets, with support from the Farm Journal Foundation, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Foundation, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County announced that the New York Voice of the Farmer Garden will feature several new interactive components at the 2024 Great New York State Fair. The garden, which opened at the 2023 Great New York State Fair, has been expanded this year to include new crops, such as hops, guest speakers, demonstrations, videos, children’s activities, and more.
The New York Voice of the Farmer Garden opened at the Great New York State Fair in 2023, becoming the very first statewide garden of its kind to open at a state fair in the U.S. The garden, which is located across from the Expo Center near the Goat Pavilion and kitty-corner from the Family Fun Zone, is a living, interactive learning space for visitors to see many of the major crops grown in New York.
It features over 35 varieties of vegetable crops, herbs, fruits and pollinator plants. Visitors can learn about NYS state agriculture on a walking tour with QR codes that, when scanned on their phones, link to videos provided by Farm Journal Foundation and CCE Onondaga of farmers and others in the food supply chain telling the story of agriculture in New York and around the country. In the CCE tent, visitors can speak with Master Gardner Volunteers and CCE Onondaga staff, who planted and maintained the exhibit. Fairgoers will also be able to explore a newly added map of prime soils and posters about Farmland Protection and the NYS Agricultural Census.
The youngest fairgoers will also be able to once again enjoy last year’s popular interactive scavenger hunt by visiting the shelled corn wading pool containing tokens to learn about a crop and win a prize! This year’s garden also adds new and exciting activities for kids of all ages, including a more in-depth “Quest in the Garden” for teenagers to locate and describe plants in the garden that are foods they eat, a toddler potting bench with soil and seeds, and a toddler picnic table with vegetable matching games.
Have all the Finger Lakes news from Finger Lakes News Radio delivered to your email every morning for FREE! Sign up by clicking here.
