The workings of a dairy farm are wide and wonderful, and if you’ve ever been curious about where milk comes from, your annual chance is fast approaching.
Sunday, June 17 (also Father’s Day) marks Saratoga County’s 17th Annual Sundae on the Farm at Eildon Tweed Farm in Charlton from noon to 4 p.m. The free event generally draws more than 2,000 visitors from far and wide and highlights one of the greatest resources of the county: agriculture.
“Most farmers are willing to work on Father’s Day. We’re used to seven day weeks,” said David Wood, owner and operator of Eildon Tweed Farm. He also noted June is Dairy Month, which part of why the event always takes place this month.
The New York State Agricultural Society and Cornell Cooperative Extension are sponsoring the event, which has been held on farms in Northumberland and Saratoga in the past. Events of the day include a farm tour, horse-drawn wagon rides and cooking demonstrations. There’s also plenty of food to be had (not free), including sausage and peppers, hotdogs, hamburgers, Stewart’s ice cream and pie a la mode featuring pies from Smith’s Orchard Bake Shop in Charlton.
“It’s a great opportunity for people to see how food is produced… and to learn about the foods and fibers … the things that agriculture brings,” Event Co-chair Penny Heritage said.
She also said holding a farm event draws attention to the fact farmers are stewards of open spaces and of businesses important to local economies. “Ideally, you want farmland in the economy,” she said.
Wood and his wife Connie are happy to be hosting Sunday’s event after first hosting it in 2000. Theirs is one of the biggest dairy farms in the region, with over 1,000 cows. In comparison, many herds in the area range from under 100 up to several hundred.
Most of their cows are the standard black-and-white Holsteins, but they do have a few Jerseys, a breed known for their extra-long tongues. So if you take the tour, keep an eye out for tongue wagging brown cows.
A few years ago, David Wood retired from Saratoga County’s Cornell Cooperative Extension as its Executive Director and had a hand in the county’s Agricultural Plan. Promotional events like Sundae on the Farm were a big part of the plan, and he said that to date the event has been “very successful.”
“Thinking that rather than some expensive programs, we thought promotion was one of the best ideas to preserve and promote agriculture,” he said. “It certainly allows non-farm people to get a better idea of what a farm is and what farm life is like … it answers a lot of questions.”
The event also provides the farmers time to visit with members of the community — and they can in turn answer questions the farmer may have. “I think it’s a two way event,” said Wood.
Jennifer Stevens is Cornell Cooperative’s extension community educator. She said that the group is “proud to be involved in this very special celebration of agriculture.”
“Sundae on the Farm is a wonderful way for families to experience up close, a real day on a local farm. It is critical to educate our children to be aware of where their food comes from,” she said. “It gives everyone a unique opportunity to get to know their local farm families. In addition to the farm hosting Sundae on the Farm, there are a least a dozen other local farms represented in volunteer and educational roles. We are fortunate in Saratoga County to have so many local food sources available to us and farmers willing to share it with us.”
Over 100 volunteers from the community, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Agricultural Society will be helping to make the event a successful one.
Additional support for the event comes from American Farmland Trust, Saratoga County Farm Bureau, the Town of Charlton, the Saratoga County Ag and Farmland Protection Board, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and the Southern Saratoga County Chamber.
For more information on the event, visit saratogafarms.com.
