Open House on the Farm

Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Orange County’s Open House on the Farm will return on Sept. 27 at Sprucegate Holsteins Dairy Farm in Walden, N.Y. from 10 a.m.to 3 p.m.

There will be plenty of activities for the whole family, including guided tours of Sprucegate Holsteins, one of Orange County’s active dairy farms, farm equipment demonstrations, visits with the calves, a calf naming contest, live music, and fall festivities. Lunch will be available for purchase along with local milk from Stap Dairy and other local agricultural products. Ice Cream will also be available for purchase from Green Valley Farm.

The farm is home to 60 Holstein cows, three Jersey cows, and 30 heifers (female cows under the age of 2). The farm consists of 240 acres, in which 155 are tillable. There are 60 acres of corn and 27 acres of alfalfa that is turned into silage. The farm has supported the dairy industry in many ways, such as hosting the 4-H Dairy Explorers and school field trips. They take pride in educating the community on the dairy industry in Orange County.

This is just one way that farms are expanding and diversifying to meet the needs of the public.

Come and help expand the knowledge of agriculture in Orange County.

For information, contact Zoe Nafis at (845) 344-1234 or visit www.cceorangecounty.org.