New York Ag Connection - State Fair to Recognize New York Beef Farmers Aug. 27

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State Fair to Recognize New York Beef Farmers Aug. 27
New York Ag Connection - 08/23/2019

The Great New York State Fair will celebrate the beef industry in New York State and fairgoers are encouraged to join in on the many special events and activities planned for Beef Day Aug. 27. Fairgoers will have the opportunity to interact with producers of New York's high-quality beef and to learn more about this important industry for New York agriculture. Events being held throughout the day include hay-throwing contests, a scavenger hunt, a food truck, recipes and the opportunity to take selfies at the Beef Barn.

Acting Fair Director Troy Waffner said, "We invite fairgoers to join New York State's top-notch beef producers in the Beef Barn, where they can learn about this important segment of our State's agriculture industry. Beef Day gives visitors the opportunity to meet with the farmers who produce some of the best offerings at our steakhouses, as well as delicious burgers that we enjoy when we fire up our grills."

State Agricultural Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, "Beef Day at the New York State Fair gives fairgoers the opportunity to learn about this agricultural sector which generates nearly $345 million in annual sales in New York State. The Beef Barn showcases prize-winning cattle valued up to a half-million dollars and celebrates some of our State's most successful livestock producers."

New York Beef Producer's Executive Secretary Brenda Bippert said, "We welcome everyone to come down to the Beef Barn and meet our beef producers and learn all that they would like to know about beef. We have lots of recipes to take home and games and a hay throwing contest, which is a neat way to feel like you're right in the barn, working on a farm. We also have the Red Osier Landmark Restaurant food truck from Batavia to provide the nutritious and delicious products that we make. We have a 15-foot blow-up cow named Brisket and one named Hector the hamburger, where people can take selfies."

The Beef Barn will host activities open to everyone starting at 9 a.m., including a scavenger hunt, a hay bale throwing contest, and an interactive beef cut puzzle. People who visit the Beef Barn can get to know New York beef farmers face-to-face and see award-winning beef cattle.

Stop by the beef barn to see new displays highlighting beef's lifecycle from pasture to plate and pick up the newest recipes to try at home. Activities in the Beef Barn will help attendees learn more about the beef industry, which is critically important to the agricultural economy.

This year, Beef Day falls on the same day as Fire & Rescue Day, where free admission is offered to any active or retired members of a fire department or emergency services organization, and the third annual Senior Citizen's Day, where free admission is offered to all seniors 60 and older, as well as College Student Discount Day, which offers admission for $1 to college students.

New York State is home to approximately 12,800 cattle farms with nearly 1.48 million cattle that supply nutritious, wholesome beef to consumers, and these farms contribute to New York State's economy by generating nearly $345 million in annual sales.

Founded in 1841, the Great New York State Fair is America's third largest state fair. The Fair showcases the best of New York agriculture, provides top-quality entertainment and is a key piece of Governor Cuomo's CNY Rising strategy of growing the Central New York economy through tourism. Fair attendance is up more than 40% since the beginning of more than $120 million in investments, with 1.27 million people attending the Fair in 2018. The 2019 Fair runs through Sept. 2.

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