Fifty years
ago there were 1,800 farms in Saratoga County… today 641 farms (one-third as
many) are in operation. Because fewer people are directly involved in farming,
not many have the opportunity to experience agriculture first-hand and
understand how the food we eat (and some of the fiber we wear) is produced. The
Saratoga County Agricultural Promotion Committee decided to provide that
critical link between the farming community and the public-at-large and hold an
open house at a different farm each year for area residents to visit a real
working farm, learn about local agriculture, and realize the importance of a
viable agricultural industry in Saratoga County.
Saratoga County’s 14th Annual “Sundae on the Farm” will be held
on Sunday June 21 at Koval Bros. Dairy, LLC on 313 Burke Road, Stillwater in the Town of Saratoga. The annual event,
taking place from 12:00 pm through 4:00 pm, showcases the breadth and
significance of agriculture in Saratoga County and is enjoyed by approximately
2,500 visitors each year. This is the sixth time the popular farm tour and
festival has been held in the town of Saratoga;
farms in the town of Charlton and Northumberland have also hosted
the event.
“Sundae on the Farm” is fun and educational for the whole
family… a perfect way to spend this Father’s Day together. Free events include:
tours of the dairy farm, children’s activities, farm animals to see, horse-drawn
wagon rides, live music, agricultural exhibits, and demonstrations by three area
chefs using local farm products. Chefs from Siro’s and The Wishing Well
restaurants, and Executive Chef Noah Sheetz from the Governor’s Mansion will be
creating dishes using locally produced products.
New events this year include a Spelling Bee and
Stewart’s Ice Cream Eating Contest. Plenty of food is served at “Sundae on the
Farm” including: hotdogs, hamburgers, Stewart’s Ice Cream featuring hot fudge
topping from Sundae’s Best Hot Fudge, and Pie a la mode featuring homemade pies
from Smith’s Orchard Bake Shop.
More fun can be found for all ages with
the showcase of horses and a unique Farmer’s Market. Parking is plentiful and
several trams (with farm-savvy hosts on board for questions and answers) will
transport visitors between the parking area and the farm.
Saratoga County’s “Sundae on the Farm”, a
successful educational effort to promote local agriculture, has become a model
emulated by many other counties. The event is organized by the Saratoga County
Agricultural Promotion Committee and sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension
of Saratoga County, American Farmland Trust, Saratoga County Farm Bureau, and
the Town of Saratoga with support from the Saratoga County
Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board. The public is invited to experience
this year’s event in Saratoga and see what all the fun is
about!
