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AGRICULTURE
IS EVERYWHERE!
AGRICULTURAL AWARENESS PROGRAM
The
NYSAAF established the Agricultural Awareness program in the early 1980’s to
provide support to the local county fairs and NY State Fair with respect to the
promotion of New York agriculture.
The goal of the program each year is to
make funds available for member fairs to create exhibits and improvements that
support New York agriculture during their annual event. This new funding program
will run from 2008 – 2011. One quarter of our member fairs will be eligible to
participate each year.
We will provide funds to fairs to
enable them to present something new about agriculture – something that that
individual fair hasn’t done previously! Projects should highlight the importance
of agricultural education and/or promotion in their local areas.
Eligible fairs must submit their
applications to the Agricultural Awareness Coordinator when asked to do so. The
Committee and the Coordinator will review the proposals and discuss possible
changes/recommendations. All proposals received from eligible fairs by the due
date will be considered.
Proposed projects must meet all of the
criteria identified in the application. Projects must be approved by the
Committee in order to receive funding.
§
Funds can also be used for new educational exhibits, such as: a
blacksmith, a beekeeping exhibit, broom making, wine making, agri-tourism,
barn tours, cheese making, a maple syrup display, pens, tents, or even
new, ag-related entertainment – as long as you do not currently have the
exhibit at your fair.
§
The funding can also be used to take an exhibit to a new level. A good
example of this would be to hire someone to make the program
interactive.
If it is decided that one fair’s effort
was truly extraordinary during any year of the program, the Committee reserves
the right to present a special commemorative award.
Twelve fairs will
be participating in the program during 2008. They are as follows:
§ The
Allegany Co. Fair
will build an addition to
their Livestock Arena for rabbit and poultry exhibits. Their rabbit and
poultry exhibits have been increasing in recent years and space is not
currently available.
§ The
Cattaraugus Co.
Fair
will conduct guided tours of their agricultural areas in order to
showcase their county’s agriculture. Grant funds will be used to make
new permanent informational signs and will pay for the tour guides.
§ The
Chenango Co. Fair will
expand their horse exhibit. They will have a large, interactive exhibit
under a large tent featuring live horses, demonstrations (grooming,
tacking, farrier and breed), interactive activities and staff available
to answer questions...
§
The Cortland Co. Junior Fair
wants to have a permanent agricultural awareness activity area. Each day
they will spotlight a new agricultural commodity that will feature live
demonstrations and displays.
§ The
Delaware Co. Fair will
make a large interactive map that points out the various agricultural
products grown/produced in the county and will pinpoint their exact
locations.
§
The Genesee Co. Fair
will expand an antique agricultural farm display by bringing in a
display from the Genesee County Museum, exhibit antique farm equipment
and displays of county history regarding agriculture.
§
The Goshen Historic Track
will create an exhibit illustrating the cycle of waste excrement from
the horses stabled at the track. This will show fairgoers how the Track
is taking responsibility for the proper disposal of manure.
§
The Herkimer Co. Fair
will create two new permanent exhibits for their Ag Awareness Building.
They will build an animated, talking chicken to interact with fairgoers
about agriculture and will feature a new bee exhibit.
§
The Jefferson Co. Fair
will present a new maple syrup display.
§
The Orleans Co. 4-H Fair
will build “Ag Info” towers to be placed in agricultural areas. These
towers will contain visual and auditory information relevant to the
exhibits in the particular areas.
§
The Tioga County Fair
is
partnering with Cornell Cooperative Extension to create a new
“Ag In Tioga” exhibit. The attraction will feature a maple syrup
and honey bee exhibit. This interactive exhibit will focus on
the importance of buying local products and its importance to
the community.
§
The
Oswego County Fair will feature
“Owego County’s Rich Agricultural Heritage”. A small stage will
allow for the viewing of a new slide show/video production
featuring agriculture ‘then and now’. Located in New York
States’ fruit belt, the exhibit will showcase local production
of strawberries and its importance to the economic development
of the central New York region.
Throughout your summer travels,
plan to visit your local county fair or the New York State Fair to learn
more about New York’s #1 industry, Agriculture!.
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