Dear Aggie

Question and Answer for June 16: 

There seems to be several dairy focused events this summer, like the Dairyland Festival and Parade that was held on June 1^st. What other events are coming up?

You may have noticed an increase in events involving the Jefferson County dairy industry. This is partially due to the fact that June is dairy month! What does this mean exactly? June dairy month celebrates the dairy industry throughout the world and by using hashtags on social media such as #WorldMilkDay (which was June 1^st!), #JuneisDairyMonth, #DairyFAN, and #Raiseaglass. You can see how folks around the word are celebrating the industry. If you’d like to experience it for yourself, there are many opportunities coming up to get you and your kids out on the farm!

To name a few:

Day on the Farm- Held at North Harbor Dairy in Sackets Harbor on Saturday, June 16^th, you can enjoy guided tours of the dairy farm, samples of dairy products and a family fun center! You will see everything from young cows to adult milking cows, their milking parlor, and learn about what they eat, and how they are cared for. This FREE event runs from 10 am to 2 pm, rain or shine! Come meet some of the cows that provide you with the dairy you love! For questions, call 315-782-2749.

Dairy Prospects Program- This program is specifically for high school aged students interested in pursuing an agricultural career. It is a yearlong experience led by myself and Lindsay Ferlito, a Regional Dairy Specialist with the North Country Regional Ag team. The Dairy Prospects will get to see a broad range of dairy farms throughout NYS as well as being introduced to NYS colleges that have agriculture programs, and gain exposure to careers off the farm such as milk processing plants, farm business management, nutrition, to name a few. The schedule is truly catered to what the group wants to see.

Children of the ages of 8-18 are welcome to join the Jefferson County 4-H Dairy Club for clinics, competitions (including Dairy Bowl and showing at the fair!), and educational events throughout the year as well.

Jefferson County Fair- You probably have attended the fair before and enjoyed delicious food, rides and live music but have you gotten to know your local farmers?The fair is the perfect place to meet farm animals but also to meet the families that raise them. Many of the farms have displays in the tents with photos and cool facts about their farms and the farmers spend the entire week on the fairgrounds. As you wander through the dairy tents, take notice of all the different colored cows! There are 6 major breeds of dairy cattle and Jefferson County typically has representation of every breed at the fair. The breeds include Holstein (black and white or red and white), Jersey (tan-brownish gray), Guernsey (golden/cream and white), Ayrshire (reddish brown and white), Brown Swiss (grayish brown), and Milking Shorthorn (red and white/roan). Try to find them all!

By Alyssa Couse, Agricultural Outreach Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County. Contact her at 315-788-8450 or amc557@cornell.edu

Last updated June 15, 2018