The NYSAAF Agricultural Awareness program provides support to the local County Fairs to showcase New York’s best in agriculture and livestock.

Each year the program goal is to make funds available to fairs to create exhibits or facility improvements that support agriculture during their annual events. These funds enable the local fair to present something about New York agriculture with an emphasis on education and product promotion in the local area. With the support of the people, the local fair is the showcase.

These fairs are eligible for the program this year: Afton Fair, Hemlock Fair, Seneca County Fair, Broome County Fair, Greene County Youth Fair, Otsego County Fair, Franklin County Fair, Wyoming County Fair, Altamont Fair, Essex County Fair, Schaghticoke Fair, and Grahamsville Little World's Fair.

Here are the Ag Awareness Projects in 2024:

Hemlock Little World’s Fair: Build a building that will house weight scales for their market animals. By building the scales building it will make for easier loading and unloading and keep trucks and trailers off the main road and make it safer for the animals and attendees.

Seneca County Fair: Have educational panels made with agricultural and historical information so the fair attendees will have an opportunity to appreciate the deep agricultural roots of the county fair as well as the agriculture in the community by making these panels mobile to attend events in the community throughout the year.

Broome County Fair: Purchase gates and fans and shelter tent for the portable animal zoo. This will make a more comfortable atmosphere for the fair attendees.

Greene County Youth Fair: Purchase portable pens for the sheep and goat tent. They have been purchasing panels as they have funds available and they have a need for more. They make the fair attendees interact with the animals with the newer pens. The old ones had sharp edges and there was a risk to the animals as well as the public.

Otsego County Fair: Install televisions in each barn to play agriculture education and trivia and also the show schedules each day throughout the week.

Franklin County Fair: Construct additional pens for the goat barn. This will increase the goat pens we have to accommodate the increasing number of goat entries we have had over the last 2 years.

Wyoming County Fair: Create animal breed signs with animal pictures and facts for the fair barns. We would like to also print “Ask me about Agriculture” shirts for a select group of teen representatives that will take turns as barn ambassadors.

Altamont Fair: Add additional gardens throughout several areas on the fairgrounds. This will allow students to grow additional vegetables which are donated to the food pantry. This will allow more volunteer opportunities for the community members wishing to volunteer while producing more produce to donate to people in need.

Essex County Fair: Purchase aluminum bleachers for the cattle and horse shows. These are portable bleachers we can move as needed for extra seating for the shows.

Schaghticoke Fair: Build large animal shaped planters. The planters will be in the likeness of the animal housed in that barn. Each animal will a QR code that will yield agricultural facts about the animal and what it produces.

Grahamville Little World’s Fair: Purchase new livestock pens to house sheep and goats. The program has tripled in size in the last few years so this will accommodate the extra pens needed for the program.

Long Island Fair: Upgrade our Farmer For A Day Barn. We will be adding four TV monitors, improved educational signage and additional education elements to upgrade the Farmer For A Day Barn. This will create a multi level learning environment where each guest entering will gain greater exposure and agricultural awareness.

Whatever your destination is throughout New York, you will find a County Fair which will peak your interest. Be sure to stop by and visit one of the 52 Fairs in New York. They will provide you and your family with a fun time, a positive experience and some insight into where your family’s food comes from, how it is grown, harvested and marketed. As people of this great State, we are proud to keep the tradition of agriculture and the State & County Fair “Standing Strong!”

Enjoy the Fair season, see you at a Fair!