The Farm Journal Foundation and the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets, with support from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Foundation, celebrated the grand opening of the New York Voice of the Farmer Garden at the Great New York State Fair on Thursday. The New York Voice of the Farmer Garden, which offers visitors the opportunity to learn about U.S. agriculture and crops grown in New York and around the country, is the very first statewide garden of its kind to open at a state fair in the U.S.
To mark the opening of the new garden, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on-site at the Fair. The ceremony included remarks from New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball, State Fair Director Sean Hennessey, Farm Journal Foundation Vice President for Strategic Partnerships Todd Greenwood, New York State Assemblymember Donna Lupardo, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County Executive Director David Skeval, and New York dairy farmers Mike and Edie McMahon, who are Farmer Ambassadors with Farm Journal Foundation and featured in the garden’s learning content. Staff from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County (CCE Onondaga) and the Master Gardener program also joined the celebration, with the team having grown and cared for the garden this summer.
The garden, which is located across from the Expo Center near the Goat Pavilion, is a living, interactive learning space for visitors to see many of the major crops grown in New York, learn about important agricultural issues, and watch engaging videos of farmers and others in the food supply chain telling the story of agriculture.
The New York Voice of the Farmer Garden features over 35 varieties of vegetable crops, herbs, fruits, and pollinator plants. Learn about New York State agriculture on a walking tour with QR codes that visitors can scan to watch videos on their mobile phones. Visitors can talk with CCE Master Gardener Volunteers and CCE Onondaga staff, and children will enjoy the shelled corn-wading pool containing tokens to learn about a crop and win a prize. CCE Master Gardener Volunteers planted and maintained this exhibit.
“The Great New York State Fair is rooted in agriculture and has long served as an exciting space for fairgoers to learn about New York State’s rich agricultural heritage,” said New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball. “We’re excited that the Voice of the Farmer Garden, the first garden of its kind at any state fair in the country, offers a tremendous opportunity to further showcase New York’s agricultural industry to visitors from all corners of the state and beyond.”
